Krait book 12c Jade Goes to Durmstrang
by slytherinsal
Summary: school year 2005-6 parallel to the ongoing stories in Hogwarts and Prince Peak. Jade Snape is under cover to see if she can't find a way to defeat ODESSA and Prince Gerhardt Grindelwald.  Surprises for Jade and a lot of surprises for Durmstrang.
1. Chapter 1

****_Yes you are reading this right, it is 12c and no I haven't posted 12a or 12b yet. I thought this one might be better with which to kick off this academic year. It kinda calls out to be read first but it upsets my sense of symmetry to label the others anything but 'a' [Prince Peak] and 'b' [Hogwarts]. I'd lose track of them, which might not be such a problem with three but you wait until 2008-9 when there are 5 parallel books. Which are currently being written..._

**Chapter 1**

"I've changed my mind, tell him to go back!" said Jade trying to pull a comic face at her husband through her labour.

Wulf held her hands.

"It's just a trifle late for that" he said dryly, casting the midwifery spells Jade's father had taught him.

With Jade having to go to spy in Durmstrang, Krait had suggested that as their baby was well grown and healthy, starting him off a little early would do him no harm and would give Jade more time to both bond and to recover from birthing before she had to leave her baby. So when Willow went into labour on Harry's birthday Jade tuned in to set off her baby. And the Bloodgroup was there to help share out the pains as well as the midwifery spells; save for Dione and Ellie who were due later in the year and must be shielded to prevent premature labour. Wulf's daughter Irmi insisted on being a part of it; and Jade's little sister Lilith who would be starting Hogwarts this year two years early.

Ralph Erich came into the world protesting over the hurry but quite capable of fastening onto a nipple with tenacity. They had picked the name Ralph as a 'wolfie' sort of name as it meant 'wolf' and Erich for Jade's adoptive brother whose good idea had led to the cure for werewolves so that Wulf was now free of the affliction and Ralph was not born with it.

Wulf gazed proudly down at his wife and son.

"He is beautiful!" he said.

"He's red and wrinkled and looks like a canned plum" said Jade cheerfully kissing her canned plum adoringly. "Irmi, you shall be first to hold your brother" and she passed him over.

Irmi regarded him with awe and joy.

Love was a wonderful thing; she had been wary at first of sharing her dad with anyone else, but Jade was so wonderful and now she had a little brother too.

"You'll have care of him for me" said Jade "As a special person; Mimette will nurse him well enough but he'll need his big sister."

"I will, Jade" said Irmi, solemnly.

Durmstrang did not go back until almost the middle of September; so Jade would have six weeks with her husband and son. She had already, in her persona as Nefrita Malfoy, made a claim on the Von Strang estate, claiming that all Freiherr Von Strang's legitimate children had been killed by Voldemort; since she was using the blood-bond with that same brother Erich, born Von Strang, to claim parentage by his loathsome and inadequate parent.

Both Erwin and Helga Von Strang were in the care of Jade's parents; Krait having faked their death, and Erich having 'disappeared' from Durmstrang. Erich had collected the family house elves to protect them; and that was all of the estate HE was interested in so long as someone was in control who would take care of the people there.

Since Nefrita Malfoy seemed to hold supremacist views her claims were being fast-tracked by the German Ministry of Magic and Jade intended starting Durmstrang as Nefrita Von Strang. Germans were most dreadfully impressed by anyone with a 'Von' in their name. And Jade had every intention of forming her own gang in the year she was to be there, not joining anyone else's; especially not the prominent gang run by Heinrich Nachtigall, cousin of her friend Katarina and all-round nasty piece of work. Jade knew his type; she had known Slytherin of the worst deatheater types when she was at Hogwarts and had firm views on putting such firmly in their place.

She had been putting bullies in their place since long before she even started in the first year.

Willow reported that she and Sirius had twin daughters this time bringing their total to five; and that they were naming them Diana and Selene to go with a moon theme rather than the usual stars; and naughty Krait remarked to Severus that it was as well that there were two and she couldn't think of a nickname for Diana because Selene rather opened herself up to be known as 'Sally go round the moon'.

Nefrita Malfoy Von Strang looked no more like Jade Snape than any of Malfoy blood looks like another. Jade's hair was brownish blonde and parted in the middle; and for the Triwizard she had let it partly cover her face in the sort of curtains her father had also once hidden behind; and her eyes were nominally grey with a tendency to change shade according to mood. Wulf thought her the most beautiful woman in the world; but the Jade Snape of the Triwizard had been careful to be unremarkable in terms of looks.

Nefrita was a more flamboyant type with all the Malfoy panache; Malfoy violet eyes and silver-gilt hair worn drawn back from the forehead that showed no zig-zag scar. The only thing that was the same was the shape of the features – pure Malfoy – and the equally pure Malfoy magnolia skin. Jade had her vanities; and also part of her mission was to impress and subvert if she might and such skin would stand her out against the German beauties and make their flaxen blue-eyed good looks seem by comparison relatively coarse.

She must purchase the uniform and sixth form books; and as such she must visit Kesselstrasse in Berlin.

Berlin was a modern city.

Even the medieval buildings were replicas; like the thirteenth century Nikolaikirche that had been destroyed in 1945. There were a few older buildings; but the Rathaus was a nineteenth century replacement – also extensively rebuilt after the war – of the thirteenth century original; the Brandenburg Gate but eighteenth century. The older part of the town was along the River Spree where the cities of Berlin and Cölln grew up on each side of the river.

And in Nikolaiviertel, close to where that little old church was so utterly destroyed, was a surviving relic of medieval architecture; a bare few yards of the city wall.

Wizarding space protected from some damage at least its exits and entrances; and Jade must turn aside from the pedestrianised cobbled street, cross the short grassy sward, and walk boldly through the archway faintly defined only to those who could see magic.

It was a different world.

The Kesselstrasse was like walking into the world of the Brothers Grimm; medieval buildings cramped together and rose high above the street, and one might expect narrow passages between them to take one to secret and fantastic surroundings where wicked queens danced themselves to death in red hot shoes, or dogs with eyes like saucers lurked. One might equally expect to see Til Eulenspiegel walking across from one building to another on his mother's washing line to the mixed wonder and anger of the neighbours; it was that sort of place. And it was far more brooding than Diagon Alley; somehow it said 'this is the German wizarding world, your attention, this is dangerous'. Certainly the first years of German extraction who were purchasing their kit here were more subdued than their English counterparts.

Most countries had a city wherein such equipment might be bought; indeed most countries had schools of sorts. Durmstrang was the biggest and most prestigious, offering a wider range of lessons than most local schools could, and having as it did a policy of taking only the cream of wizarding society – socially and according to blood status anyhow – had a reputation for being something to which to aspire on the continent. Personally Jade reckoned that most young European witches and wizards might be happier going to school with others of their own ethnic background in smaller schools even if they might not achieve such academic excellence; but Durmstrang stood of course for more than academic achievement. It stood for the principle of keeping blood pure and as such took in very few who were not of near pure bloodline, and then only those of wealthy or socially elevated background. It also of course accepted people from far flung countries of small wizarding population whose own communities had not the facilities for anything like it; like Serbia or Tajikistan as well as those countries that were traditionally in the German sphere of influence like Romania and Austria; and the Spanish presence doubtless accounted for by the traditional interference in Spanish affairs by Germany dating back to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles, the nephew of Isabella of Castile.

Jade hoped that with more people sending children to Prince Peak not Durmstrang that those children would return, some at least of them, to teach in their own countries and make up a broader base of education. Besides, it would make a Triwizard more fun with more schools ready to compete on a more equal footing. A Scandinavian school would be good; and Antti Laakkonen stuffy enough to be ready to start one at that when he grew up, she thought whimsically.

And maybe Hanna-Leena Tommila, who would have to make her way in the world, would consider teaching if a school were subsidised at that, she thought; and resolved to keep an eye out for Scandinavians who weren't too bad at Durmstrang.

They would not shop in Berlin of course; but here too would be a good place to start to see who was who of the Germans she would meet.

She saw first a boy of about fourteen who was hastening a younger brother in the buying of a cauldron, the younger lad explaining that he wanted the RIGHT cauldron within their budget. They did not look well off.

"If you want to go and put a bet on the Heidelberg Harriers just go and do it, Hasso; Mother said you were to take care of me and I think you take care of me better by not helping."

The older boy went off with very little persuasion.

"In my experience" said Jade "Providing you do not buy substandard, there is little to pick between one cauldron and another until you reach the third or fourth year when, should you prove good, spending as much as you can afford on a pewter cauldron becomes worthwhile."

"Your views tally with mine gracious lady but I don't intend to be hurried" said the boy. "Are you in a superior class at Durmstrang?"

"I shall be joining the upper sixth" said Jade "My name is Nefrita Malfoy Von Strang; whether that is Baronin or not is still sub judice."

The boy bowed deeply.

"I am Herwald Langbessen" he said "I would be honoured to fag for you My Lady."

"I will consider it" said Jade, a little taken aback.

"My Lady, my family fell in status but we have had people at Durmstrang for centuries" persisted the boy.

"I have said I will consider it, Langbessen; and I will" said Jade "You are the first new child I have met; I do not know what rules there are concerning choosing, discarding and changing fags – if any."

"I know that!" said Langbessen "You have as many as will serve you and pick a chief fag from amongst them or cast them off if they displease! If you want another's fag, if you can persuade them that's all right but you may have to fight a duel for them. My brother told me; he fagged for one of the fellows who was a contender for the Triwizard; and being Hasso he picked a loser" the child added in scorn.

"I see. Then provisionally you may consider yourself my fag and if you satisfy me I shall retain your services" said Jade. "What then are the rules of ages at which one takes and discards fags?"

"Oh if you've status enough you can have a fag from the second" said Langbessen "And I guess a Baronin would have them from her own class from the beginning, and keep them all the way through, though most don't have fags until the fifth or lower sixth. To fag for someone of status is an honour even if you're still a fag in the fifth, though I think you don't do such menial stuff when you're bigger. It's better to volunteer to be a fag to someone because otherwise you don't know WHO you might be picked by."

"Well, the information is welcome; now run along and buy your cauldron, kid" said Jade who recognised well enough the signs of a boy who was starting to encroach. She would keep all her fags at a distance until she knew them; and if her social status was so impressive she might expect to attract several.

She wondered how many Nachtigall had in addition to the small boy who had brought him on a string to demand help for the fart-powered dirigible curse she had dropped on him.

And she had no intention of asking this small fount of information if HE knew; at Durmstrang one did not permit youngsters to have such power unless one was certain of their loyalty; information on customs was one thing, information on specifics was another.

Most of Jade's purchases were to be in the book line; she would need the required NEWT course books – or rather, ZH course, Zauberkunst Hochprüfung, the art of magic higher examination. Trust the Germans to have a boring acronym, thought Jade; though partly that also came of having a language that was so unkind to its nouns as to jam them all into one like sardines in a can. Jade was sufficiently fluent in German to pass as a native which not all of the graduates of Durmstrang managed entirely; and being good at languages enjoyed musing from time to time on whether the language shaped national personalities or whether the national characteristics shaped the construction of the language. She had argued the point with Hercule Maxime, also fascinated with languages, and they had never reached a firm conclusion.

Those buying the same books as her would be in the lower sixth; but there was only one other girl about her age in there.

This girl was also purchasing 'Higher Arts of Darkness'

"You will join us in the sixth?" she asked "I suppose you come from some no-hope school where ZH's are not offered; I hope you will know your place."

"I shall be joining the UPPER sixth and I shall not be entertaining any contumely from people like you" said Jade, using every ounce of the Malfoy sneer.

"My! You DO think you're somebody; I can't wait to see Nachtigall bounce you" sneered the other girl. Jade laughed.

"Well whoever he may be, he may try. I fancy he may be in for a big surprise."

"You may be top of a small school in the middle of nowhere but Durmstrang is a different proposition I assure you"

"Which is how come YOUR Triwizard champion had not a clue about prime numbers; and my previous school donated one of the winners" Jade yawned "I can't fault the place academically; only on the riff-raff they let in. And I don't THINK I'm someone, low-born; I KNOW it. Now get out of my way; I want the rest of my books."

She left the girl gaping.

It would be almost funny if it weren't so tragic that this was how the hochgeborn were supposed to behave.

The other girl was also decidedly impressed when the shopkeeper, wrapping Jade's purchases, said,

"Excuse, gracious lady, but you have here books for six ZH subjects."

"Yes that is so; they would not let me take a full complement of subjects" said Jade "I had to drop one."

"Are you saying you study up to seven ZH levels at the Englisher school?" the other girl butted in. Jade regarded her as though she was something rather unpleasant she had picked up on her shoes.

"Are you by any chance daring to question me?" she said dangerously.

"No not at all! But it seems an unfeasible number unless English exams are of less quality!"

"If English exams were lower, one might expect the Durmstrang champion to do better… if I had only transferred a year before perhaps I should have been able to persuade Madam Bacsó to find a way around my birthday being outside the cut-off point by days only" said Jade. "I might well have won the Triwizard; Jade Snape is not so much better than I even though she did take eight NEWTs. The ZH equivalents in English schools" she explained. "I managed to persuade Madam Bacsó to let me take most at least of my subjects."

It had been a heated exchange of owl messages, and an impassioned diatribe by floo; the supposed Nefrita demanding to know how come so old and well established a school as Durmstrang could fail to produce the academic results of a headmaster only in situ for a few years and him eccentric to the point of insanity too. Madam Bacsó wanted to have something to boast about; and if this girl COULD manage six ZH's she would be the one to have credit for it. And if she failed miserably, well it was easy to say she was only a transfer who overreached herself.

Jade was tiny compared to the German youngsters with her slight Malfoy build; and when she came face to face with a youth about the same age as her fag's brother he regarded her with approval.

"Ah, a new girl?" he said "Well my name is Adelard Löenzahn and I am the person to know in the fourth. You come to me with your problems and I will sort you out."

Jade regarded him.

"You are a little boy of the fourth? But you are very forward; unless this is your way of asking if you might be my fag."

Löenzahn spluttered.

"How dare you! You do not speak to me like that, I am pure blooded and of prominent family!"

"And you, little boy, do not speak to one of the sixth like that; and certainly not a Baronin of older and more respected family than yours which I'VE never heard of. I am Nefrita Von Strang; and had I been the child you thought me I appreciate that your intentions were kindly else I had been more irritated."

"Baronin! I apologise…. I had no idea!" he stuttered. "I – if you wish me to fag, I should be honoured!"

He looked as though he was torn between eagerness for the connection and horror at having to resume a life of menial tasks.

Jade laughed.

"I think I'll make do with babes… the apology was not for being able to pick up on my manner when I answered your original comment. Learn from it; it ill becomes one who would be a leader to make assumptions."

"Thank you Baronin; I will learn and remember" he said.

He reminded Jade strongly of Ernie MacMillan; he probably would learn and remember at that. A stuffy child and a bit self satisfied but possibly worth cultivating.

"I will however, if not use you as my fag, perhaps call on your services as eyes for me in the middle school" said Jade.

He puffed out his chest.

"I should be honoured!" he declared.

Ass, thought Jade. But potentially useful ass, and maybe with time even a trainable ass.

Jade recognised the older sister of another of the small people as one of the satellites of Heinrich Nachtigall; and the features of both girls bore, to one who knew the look, distinct traces of the fey.

It might be of course that they had Malfoy blood and did not know of the fey connection; or it could be that, like the Malfoy family, they did not count it an impurity. Highfey after all were generally beautiful creatures and far removed from elves and their ilk. The older girl did not trouble to speak to Jade; so Jade did not trouble to speak to her either. She was not the sort with whom one might wish to be intimate if she enjoyed the company of such as Heinrich Nachtigall. If she had joined him as a bully to avoid being bullied that would become more apparent with time and then would be the time to move in, but if she made acquaintance now she could scarcely set up a rival organisation to his gang of thugs. Which was what Jade fully meant to do. Anett had told her to look out for Cacilia Von Freyer, who also went her own way who was a pleasant girl who had youngsters queuing up to fag for her for her kindness, and had done since she was in the fourth, which had been permitted since she was a 'von', which had been confirmed by the boy Langbessen. And it also tallied with the relationship Von Frettchen seemed to have had with the rat-like Dunkelwald that they had chanted into Elf-form after he tried to kill Wulf.

Jade wondered idly if he had been able yet to convince Von Frettchen who he really was or if the Duke had just ignored an elf however much he entreated. As his one time fag the little spy would know things about the spymaster that must surely convince him; and what then? Did Von Frettchen have the level of loyalty that would move heaven and earth for a dependant? Or would he laugh and say it served him right for getting caught? On such things depended whether he might be turned one day or not. Anett was getting close to him; though not too close since she was teaching this year at Prince Peak – and had engineered to have Von Frettchen suggest it too – but she could gauge a deal about him from his reactions to other things. There was that about him that was not entirely unlike Lucius; Lucius would, in similar situation, do all he could to procure a cure on his own, and if he had to admit failure try to secure a bargain with the enemy that was more advantageous to himself than the foe in order to have his vassal restored. Even before Lucius realised how his personality had been warped, a slight to one of his vassals would be a slight to him, and he would have sought to correct it – and THEN plotted revenge.

Meanwhile, none of the new ones seemed especially prepossessing; not of the German children anyway. Those who did not have cruelty and arrogance written across their features seemed to have the looks of well-brainwashed automata, and if they were that well brainwashed at eleven, she had little hope of shaking them from it by subtle control over the year that she would have. Indeed the best looked to be the sister of the Nachtigall gang member.

And if that child were her fag, she might even prattle artlessly about her sister and friends.

Jade made sure to meet them in the robe shop where oppressed-looking elves took busy measurements. She gazed on the child with a degree of hauteur.

"A first year?" she asked.

"Yes, if you please, I am to enter Durmstrang this year" said the little girl.

"I enter into the sixth; I am told it is customary to have fags. You have a look about you that makes me think you may have Malfoy blood; this I would consider quite suitable if you were to be my fag" said Jade.

"Oh but I am to be my sister's fag!" said the child.

Jade shrugged.

"So? Well no matter; there are no doubt plenty of children who would like the advantage" she said.

"And just who ARE you that it may be an advantage?" said the older girl managing to be short of sneering just enough to be offensive but not so much as to be pulled up on if she was addressing someone who was worth cultivating. Jade silently applauded. Nachtigall did NOT deserve someone of that ability; even if she did prove loathsome.

"I am Nefrita Malfoy Von Strang; whether Baronin or not is still being decided though I am told the courts are in favour" she said.

"I am Traudl Mondschein; my sister Elfleda. She would be honoured to be your fag" said the other sixth former.

"But how can you decide that for me?" demanded the child "I know where I am with you, Traudl, this girl I do not know!"

"Silence! Have you no sense to see the honour afforded to you when so noble a person offers it?" hissed Traudl "I apologise for my sister; she is deficient in knowledge and sense."

"The child has a certain point, Traudl" said Jade "Were I a school mate of yours of long standing you would be able to advise her of my temperament. She is hasty in her speech, but I had rather that than a sly child. I have another fag already; if the child is thoroughly opposed I would not want an unwilling fag. I asked for the similarity in blood we both share."

"It is true then that the Malfoy mingled blood with the fey?" asked Traudl, not pretending to misunderstand.

"Long ago" Jade shrugged. "And reiterated with my darling grandfather's newest woman; though I hardly think the original co-mingling was with any but Highfey. The child of this union is, fortunately, not blue like his mother. The old man takes his ideas too far; I accept that his brain was addled through having both Voldemort and Dumbledore treading through it but he can be an embarrassment."

"Is it true that he actually has his goblin mistress refer to herself as Madam Malfoy and treats her brats as he treats human children?"

"Utterly" said Jade "I am independent of him; his family settled a sum on my grandmother to raise my mother and I have also my father's estates; and hopefully the title also."

"Von Strang is an old, well respected name and pure blooded to the last degree" said Traudl with respect.

"Are we shedding your loyalty to Heinrich Nachtigall now his father is under law suit for having had people lie about the proper Herr Nachtigall becoming a werewolf?" demanded Elfleda.

Traudl laughed a rather forced laugh.

"She comes out with the most outrageous things!" she said sounding apologetic.

"Yes but ARE we?" demanded the little girl. "Traudl said being part of his group would do our family good, but it would scarcely do so if his father is in gaol for fraud so I was only wondering."

"Have you ever noticed" said Jade, conversationally to Traudl "How children 'only wondering' can manage to be devastating to the equilibrium of their elders? Faggling of mine, wonder on your own time and a little less loudly; for sometimes tactlessness leads to consequences beyond thy comprehension. Of the situation of Herr Nachtigall, I have some knowledge; since his eldest daughter transferred to Prince Peak school whence I have lately come and left not this summer but the last; and she had vowed to stand by her father in a law suit against his brother since he had escaped from durance vile wherein he had been confined, falsely accused of being a werewolf. A pleasant girl, if a little ready to embrace the crazy ideas of the new head."

"Is it true there are goblins in that school?" demanded Elfleda.

"Yes; and free elves" said Jade. "The academic standards rose; of which I was most glad, but I felt I must complete my time at school amongst humans away from such lunacy."

"Our own academic standard is good this year" said Traudl "Seventeen pupils are in the upper sixth taking ZH's and many of us are taking four."

"Yes; Madam Bacsó was persuaded eventually to let me take six so I only had to drop one" said Jade "I thought however I might study Ancient Runes on my own time and enter it anyway in June next even if I am not permitted the classes."

"SEVEN? Donner und Blitzen, if he is a madman this head, he is an efficient one!" said Traudl. "I – I study ancient runes; if it would please you to look over my notes, I should be delighted if you feel able to maintain such a level of study!"

"Why I thank you; that is unlooked for good fortune!" said Jade "The emphasis cannot but be different to that of an English exam, where much is put on the Celtic Ogham and little on Cyrillic say."

"We study Ogham of course; but the ancient Aryan languages are also given much emphasis" said Traudl.

"Tell me pray your text book; I shall purchase my own to study so I may make notes in it" said Jade "It is, I think, a flaw in the Malfoy character that we like to argue with text books and write comments in them."

"How did your birth then come about, if it is not indelicate to ask?" demanded Traudl.

Jade refrained manfully from saying 'in the usual manner between the legs of my mother' and explained her fictional history; how Lucius had, at some thirteen years old, had an affair with a courtesan who was herself a pure-bred runaway of the Black family and how the result of that union had conceived by Freiherr Von Strang and she was the result. That Von Strang had in some way managed to offend Voldemort and was killed together with all his family was well known.

This Traudl Mondschein had her eye out for the main chance; and that meant that Jade might steal her from Nachtigall if his star was no longer in the ascendant. It was cold blooded; but for someone to act in order to better their family had more merit than to act to put down others for the sake of it. Traudl might be amenable to guidance. If it might be done without blowing cover. That the younger sister seemed fairly natural and tactless was hopeful; she seemed a normal enough child to Jade!

"What other subjects do you study to ZH?" Jade asked.

"Dark Arts of course – Heinrich felt we should all do so" said Traudl "Though I confess I find some of it a little hard to understand. I study too both Potioneering and Herbology, the second to aid the first."

Jade nodded.

"I too on the same score study herbology; Potioneering is one subject that was always taught well before Prince Peak became Prince Peak. I too will study Dark Arts; I have been studying the defensive strategies and hope I have learned enough from what we were learning to counter to keep up in class. I also study Transfiguration, Arithmancy and Magical Beasts; and that too has bearing on Potioneering. I chose that over Ancient Runes in principle that one might learn from a book about ancient runes, but nothing can substitute for practical classes in handling beasts for oneself."

"Clovis Gierek will appreciate knowing another potioneer; he is fascinated by poisons."

"So is Professor Snape; he threatens random poisoning to improve performance in antidote brewing" said Jade. Traudl giggled.

"Herr Professor Rebet has never gone so far; do not tell him, I pray you, he claims to loathe all students since one of them caused the accident that damaged his lungs. Is that what happened to Snape's face?"

"Yes; a girl knocked over powdered Chinese dragon heart's blood in the night when stealing alihotsy. He put out the blaze with his bare hands" said Jade soberly "He has his moments you know; but also his moments of lunacy."

"Well that is heroic" said Traudl. "I say, I suppose you must be awfully clever, if you're taking Arithmancy and Transfigurations."

"I enjoy Arithmancy" said Jade "And Transfigurations. Either you can do transfigurations or you can't. And I am an animagus."

"Truly? What form?"

Jade laughed.

"Wolf. There are so many wolf animagi running around at Prince Peak it's easy to copy; not to mention wolves in the woods. I like the form; the scents are fantastic in wolf form and actually I have used it to sniff out herbs to later dig up for potion making. And it does unnerve people and I have to say I quite like that too."

"I wish you might unnerve Madam Schrempf! It is she we have for Dark Arts; I used to enjoy it when Professor Hesse taught it, for he made it fascinating, but she has come in his place – it seems he went to England to duel with Professor Dumbledore no less – and she is not so good a teacher. She is impatient and she has no….no SUBTLETY. Subtlety is surely the key to the Dark Arts, not just using the unforgivable curses and rather pedestrian cursed sendings?"

"What I saw on the communications globe of her makes me think she is a fool; is the book set the one SHE has set or is it standard for sixth form work?"

"Oh it is the standard for sixth form work" said Traudl.

"Then you and I and any we deem worthy should work from the book secretly to understand the subtleties in our own time, and thus achieve a better grade than such a fool can give us" said Jade "Professor Snape is fond of saying that the Dark Arts are many, varied, ever-changing and eternal and like a many-headed and mutable monster that, when one head is severed sprouts back another fiercer and more clever than the last. That does not tally with a stupid, ignorant woman who has as much variability and mutability – or so it seems to me – of a troll on a sled waving an icepick."

Traudl gasped, but giggled again.

"If she should hear you she'd dish out the Cruciatus Curse" she said half fearfully.

Jade snorted.

"She could try. One thing we get dinned into us is how to counter it; wordlessly too. I'll teach you" she added as Traudl looked on her in wonder and admiration "And I'll be teaching my fags; AND reminding them that little jugs have outsize ears and that they heard NONE of this conversation" she admonished Elfleda "And moreover I should give any elves in earshot direct orders not to mention this conversation to any other human. Maybe I should go after this Schrempf woman's job; I wager I've picked up more about the Dark Arts than she knows just poking around in the library at Prince Peak; it's quite eclectic. I bet I'm more many headed and mutable than she is."

"I'll reserve judgement on that until I see you in action" said Traudl.

"I wasn't a contender at the Triwizard because of my birth date; and though it might not be entirely accurate to wonder if that was arranged so I could not show up Snape's daughter it crossed my mind…. In duels we're very well matched."

Traudl gasped.

"But she is outstanding…. Nefrita – I may call you Nefrita?" she asked and continued as Jade inclined her head in acquiescence "Heinrich will not like me moving from his orbit…. He has been useful to me but if he is to decline in power his grossness of manner does not fill me with loyalty. He hates all about Prince Peak and the Snape girl; for knowing her he will hate you and try to show you up."

"Nobody is as alive to Jade Snape's faults as I am" said Jade dryly "But he does not sound the type that I would wish to have befriend me in any case. I think Katarina was probably fairly objective about him. And you fear him. I will show you tricks that will enable you to stand firm against him if you wish; I think I would not wish to be an intimate of someone who had NOT cut a connection with him. I confess to having some sympathy too with the plight of werewolves – had his uncle truly been one – for nobody ASKS to become a werewolf; and it seems to me that he is of the type that not only has no sympathy for such but would, if he knew of it, condemn your fey blood. Which is absurd; for there is ample evidence to suggest that fey blood brought magic to humans in the first place."

"He does not know of it; in truth I would not speak of it for fear he might consider it a flaw" said Traudl. "I didn't know fey blood was the origin of magic in us; that is fascinating!"

"So all witches and wizards are part fey?" demanded Elfleda.

"In so far as we are all in descent of the first few, yes; but as well say we are all Indian as all civilisation and the teachings of witchcraft stem from India!" said Jade "The Aryan people spread widely and co-mingled with various natives no doubt bringing their ideas with them, but it does not make them our ancestors by more than a nod! Were that so, all magical folk would be able to use our peculiar fey skills that even so not all in the Malfoy family can access. Lucius with all his vaunted power cannot fly or dance upon the air or use feytravel; I hope to learn all feyskills and perhaps we may pool information."

"Alas!" said Traudl "Though we have the blood, such skills were not deemed suitable for the family to maintain."

"A sad oversight" said Jade relieved that the feyblooded of Germany were too pigheadedly blood snobbish to take on board the powerful magics of the fey. She would demonstrate dancing in the air as her contribution; and since Traudl seemed to find transfiguration hard she may never learn.

If Traudl became more than an ally she might then teach her more. For now it had gone better than she might have hoped; and she would make more contacts at the meeting place of students.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The Meeting Place for students was an old hunting lodge deep in a forest in northern Germany; and if the term 'hunting lodge' should conjure up for new students the view of a rustic log-built house with one or two rooms they were doomed to have their breath taken away. What a medieval Junker referred to as a 'little hunting lodge' was to the eyes of most palatial in size if determinedly rustic in structure. It was almost big enough to serve as a school of itself; for it could, if need be, house the two hundred odd students of the school albeit in cramped conditions should weather cause a delay. As pupils came from so far afield three days was allowed for them to foregather at this meeting place to allow for unforeseen circumstances in their journeys; and this served much the same purpose as the train journey to Hogwarts, permitting pupils to meet and make alliances and plot the downfall of enemies. It also permitted, far more than the train journey, bullies to work upon the vulnerable and make them their slaves in all but name. Here too many fags were chosen by the older ones; and Traudl told Jade that the lower sixth tried to get there early to have first pick as juniors arrived. Jade had already decided to get there early for the same purpose; and to check out the older ones checking out the younger ones would be a bonus.

There was usually one member of staff there; Traudl ventured the opinion that the staff played cards for it at the end of the previous term and the loser got the duty.

There may of course have been a rota; but she might even have been right.

When Jade arrived it was to find she was the first – as she had intended – bar the staff member, a thin, unhealthy looking individual whom Jade knew for Ihor Rebet, the potions master, who had been unable to cure Nachtigall of her charm and who now disliked the boy intensely for his rudeness.

She held out a hand.

"How do you do, sir? Am I early? My name is Nefrita Von Strang; I expect you're anticipating me."

He nodded sharply.

"You are from Snape's school" he wheezed "Is he really as brilliant as they say?"

"Sir, as a schoolgirl I am unqualified to answer accurately" said Jade "He IS brilliant; if rather eccentric. He teaches potions and it is said he can brew a potion for any affliction one might encounter; which may be an exaggeration but I know he has had many new potions published."

"I will be your potions master here" he said harshly.

Jade beamed.

"Well I think you will not find me ill prepared" she said. "Even before he came we had a more than adequate teacher; though as she had to teach botany – theory only – alongside – Cackle's girls HAVE had to work a lot harder to catch up on Herbology to help with potioneering."

"You take your potioneering seriously then?"

"Yes sir; it has a subtlety that sets it apart from the brute force of a charm. Potions may take longer in preparation than a spell hurled but the effect may often be more profound, subtle and longer lasting. What charm could possibly duplicate Felix Felicis? What jinx could upset a rival so thoroughly as introducing amortentia with the object of affection being someone wholly inappropriate? How could the killing curse compare with a poison subtle enough to appear to cause death by natural causes? The potioneer is an infinitely more dangerous character than any who uses raw spell power. For all his flaws and megalomaniac insanity, even Voldemort did not neglect the power of the cauldron and its softly simmering secrets."

"You talk a good talk; we shall see how you perform with a cauldron" said Rebet, secretly rather impressed.

Jade itched to heal his lungs.

It was only a simple medical transfiguration after all – simple to her mind, anyway – and it seemed wrong to leave them. But she must; one did not charge in willy-nilly in such a situation as this.

She should have offered to do it as Jade Snape perhaps at the Triwizard when he was forcing Nachtigall to ask nicely for potions; but perhaps it would bring advantage to Nefrita Von Strang to have him grateful.

And if he was indifferent at least to ODESSA it might induce him to forgive her if she proceeded to tell him the truth at any time.

The first to arrive after Jade was a lower sixth girl with a new boy in tow. They looked expensive and the boy seemed used to being hectored by his older sister and took little notice of it. The girl stared.

"And who are YOU?" she demanded of Jade.

Jade elevated an eyebrow.

"Apparently someone brought up with a higher standard of manners than the gutter that spawned YOU" she drawled.

The girl flushed angrily and went for a wand. Jade sneered gently as she cast hexes fruitlessly at Jade's wordlessly held shield; then the English girl made a slight gesture and disarmed the other and threw her back against the wall.

"Mannerless one, stay out of my way or I will have a trough made for you to grub at for meal times so you do not offend me by even being in my sight at meals" said Jade.

"Eh bien, how then please is it that you do that?" asked the boy with a bow.

He had no intention of letting her call HIS manners to book.

"Casting non verbally is a useful trick to learn if you are under a silence spell or have no desire to give the enemy a clue to what you cast" said Jade "It is an exertion of will. I take it that it is your misfortune to be related to the mannerless one?"

"Er… that's my sister Claudette. I am Guiscard Reynoult; we are from Belgium."

"So. I trust you will be more mannerly in your growing up than she; I dislike bad manners" said Jade switching smoothly to French as his magic-learned skills with German were still poor. "I also dislike dishonour" she added as she twitched a hand to cast her shield spell since Claudette had retrieved her wand and cast at her back. "Do you want another lesson, Claudette Reynoult? Professor Rebet is not in evidence and I have a number of interesting jinxes at my disposal from my previous school; or I can use the principle of assimilative correlation by association of Reynard the fox and turn you into a fox; one more vulpine addition to the forest would scarcely be noticed. Or you could apologise and avoid further demonstrations of my virtuosity with the art of magic."

Claudette stared in horror. Whether this girl could turn her into a fox or not she was only half certain; but that she had not even troubled to get her wand out – like those frightening English children – was sign enough that she was too hard to tangle with.

"I apologise" she said rather sulkily.

Like all bullies, Claudette was a coward.

The groups of children from different countries tended to meet up and travel by portkey as a group; and the next group to arrive were a group of four from Denmark. One was a boy who had been, so far as Jade recalled, in Nachtigall's class without being one of his group. Another one was a girl who seemed quite young and yet au fait with the whole business and so was probably a second year; one was a new girl who was looking around in the manner of a neophyte and obviously trying not to be impressed by the whole business; the fourth, a couple of years older than the new child resembled her and also deferred enough to the oldest boy that it was probable that he was his fag. This was confirmed by the oldest boy saying,

"Get me coffee, Yorick."

"Alas, poor Yorick; I knew him, Horatio" murmured Jade.

"I say!" said the small girl "You got it right; most people say 'I knew him well'."

"Shakespeare's a hack but if you're going to quote him it's worth doing accurately" said Jade. "You're a cheeky whelp mind."

The child flushed.

"I'm sorry, I sort of thought you were my brother's age so…. Is it not done?"

"I'm in the upper sixth, small Ophelia."

"I say! I didn't mean to be cheeky but I say, my name's Sofie not Ophelia because she was wet."

"In more ways than one" said Jade dryly. "Are you fagging for your brother's man?"

"HE thinks so but I think I can do better" announced Sofie calmly. Jade laughed.

"DO you now! Well you can be a co-fag with the couple I have so far to me if you like."

"I think I would like" said Sofie "You know your Hamlet but you don't think much of Shakespeare. And you're sort of tolerant of an honest mistake."

"Well I suppose it's as good a recommendation as any and better than most" murmured Jade. "Name's Nefrita Von Strang."

Sofie beamed.

"Well I have struck gold!" she said "A big girl I think I like who's a von as well; Bertel Elstrup will suck lemons!"

Next to arrive was the girl from the bookshop. Jade permitted her eyes to show recognition but no nod of such. The girl had been singularly ungracious after all. She went over to the Belgian girl as much, Jade suspected, because she was the only other one of her age group there as any affection between them.

"Take care of the poison dwarf" she heard Claudette say "She casts as do the English without wand."

"She was at the same school as the Snape girl and could not be a champion because of her age…. She is taking six ZH's because Madam Bacsó would not let her take seven and she is in the upper sixth. What did she do?"

"She threw me across the room without any incantation or wand and threatened to turn me into a fox and let me out into the forest" said Claudette.

"Well if she really is that good it should be funny watching the meeting between her and Nachtigall" said the German girl heartlessly.

"YOU weren't the one being thrown around, Calvina" said Claudette.

"She froze me out and called me 'lowborn' in the bookshop" said Calvina resentfully.

"Big deal! I half hope Nachtigall CAN take her; I'd like to see her taken down a peg or two" sulked Claudette.

A Romanian contingent arrived next; two older girls, a boy of the middle school, and a new little girl.

"So are you planning on asking this one to fag for you, Pompilia?" asked the Romanian girl Jade thought was an upper sixth.

"I have made an arrangement with Serafina Payutinina that her brother Kyril will fag for me" said Pompilia. "It is a favour to her as she has helped me sometimes with my homework."

One might assume Serafina was of a less high born family than her friend Pompilia then if one were an English eavesdropper. Jade had some Romanian because of Adrian Petrescu in Prince Peak, friend of Irmi. With shameless legilimensy she could follow a conversation anyway!

She could not invite ALL the first to be her fags; the reason she had also left the little weaselly Belgian boy who regarded everyone with calculation. This little Romanian girl had something of a look to her that Jade did not like; a look that betokened a child who liked to get her retaliation in first.

Jade sighed.

Like a certain Severus Snape at eleven years old. She smiled tentatively at the child who ran over.

"Should I get coffee Fraulein?" she asked.

"That is MY place to do" said Sofie. "I am Fraulein Von Strang's fag."

The Romanian child's mind was obviously working on the mention of the 'von'.

"You shall get me coffee; and this other little one shall bring me biscuits or cakes if any are set out" said Jade.

On the way back she saw clearly the tripping jinx the Romanian child cast on Sofie.

Jade was immediately over by the fallen Danish child, healing the burns where scalding coffee had covered her, cleaning and drying the robes absently.

"You" she said to the Romanian child "Get out of my sight; if I ever see you again it will be too soon. You have lost any chance you might have had of being a fag of mine. You are disgusting and if I see you much longer I shall be whipping you so hard you will wish I had only cast the cruciatus curse."

The child fled.

Yorick whacked her hard in passing.

"What's you let her get away with it for?" he demanded rather rudely of Jade.

Jade forgave the rudeness in concern for his sister.

"Because you good ass, I was afraid that if I once started on her for so serious an offence I might hurt her seriously. Sofie, are you all right now?"

"Yes thank you Fraulein Von Strang" said Sofie "What happened?"

"That horrid child wished to make you look foolish and cast a tripping hex" said Jade. "I presume she hoped to be in with a chance as senior fag. Now she will not be my fag at all; and if she is wise she will not even cross my path."

Sofie looked aghast.

"She wanted to hurt me just to have a chance to look better? Well! Still it has worked out against her; and for that I am glad" she said.

"Your sister has a sweet naïveté about the wicked ways of the world" said Jade to Yorick "Rather than realising that people will do harm where they can for their own advantage."

"Oh I do not know" said Yorick "I think most people are all right most of the time."

Jade laughed.

"Well if you have survived a couple of years at school and still have that attitude I salute your good nature" she said "And also Elstrup for his protection of you."

"You speak my name? What do you do with my fag?"

Bertel Elsrup had noticed that Yorick was not at his side and came and stood protectively by him.

"He checks on his sister who was jinxed by a brat who wanted to fag for me and do her down" said Jade calmly. "You I think have cared for him well that he looks in kindly fashion on all the world."

"Oh that is Yorick" said Elstrup. "You are new in the sixth?"

"Yes; I come for one year only to the upper sixth. Nefrita Von Strang" said Jade.

He shook the proffered hand.

"Bertel Elstrup; as I think you have been told" he said. "I am not high born nor near pure."

He seemed to be quite pugnacious about it.

"You have, however, the instincts and manners of a gentleman. A gentleman always protects his dependants; this I admire in a man as few seem to manage such a level of manliness" said Jade. "You are also one of but a few of the sixth I have met so far who has couched a question of my arrival in inoffensive terms. As one of my fags is sister to your fag it is possible we may work together. What ZH's do you take?"

"Herbology, Charms, Potions and Ancient Runes" said he.

"I shall be with you for two of those; I had to drop Ancient Runes as Madam Bacsó would not let me take all I had been studying" said Jade "So I study in my spare time; the little sister of Traudl Mondschein is another of my fags so she has agreed to let me see her lesson notes to keep up on my own time."

"I would not wish to have anything to do with Traudl or her friends; she is one of a gang I do not like."

"Which is why she is glad of an ally who will help her break from this Nachtigall boy" said Jade calmly. "I have learned spell defences the English way; if you too wish to learn and work with her and me it would give more of us against his cohorts."

Elstrup considered.

"There is much in what you say" he said "Perhaps even to take defence into attack. I will think on it seriously – if Traudl really does want to escape and is not trying to pump you for knowledge."

"I know enough legilimensy to tell if someone's genuine or not" scoffed Jade.

"Legilimensy? Then they DO teach to beyond ZH level in English schools?"

"IS it? I don't know; I just picked it up as I went along" said Jade with absolute truth.

She had been a competent legilimens since she had started at Hogwarts if not before.

"We should conceal what we are doing if we are to learn extra things" said Bertel seriously. "Find a way to make it hidden."

Jade laughed.

"Then we should hide it in obviousness; and have what sounds like a club that is so boring the creeps and bullies will not wish to have anything to do with it; something like the 'English customs hobby club' and we can be earnest about the ritual significance of afternoon tea and the importance of how thinly to slice cucumbers for sandwiches and what an umbrella means."

Bertel laughed.

"Perfect!" he said. "Oh here is Traudl and the child."

Jade beckoned Traudl and Elfleda over.

"Elfleda, Sofie, Sofie, Elfleda. We still await Herwald to complete the three fags I have so far; perhaps I had better not steal too many more! Traudl, Bertel would like to learn some techniques and suggests we call our efforts the English Customs Hobbies Club for safety; and our various fags of course shall attend if they wish to learn more.

"Yes; my fag will like that I am sure" said Traudl instantly. "It is clever; Heinrich would despise such a club and though he may wish to disrupt it he will not take any more notice than that."

"In English schools it is also customary for many to run in the mornings to increase stamina" said Jade "Herein may extra ability to sustain spells be found."

Traudl groaned.

"This am I less keen on! But to sustain a protection against the cruciatus curse…. That I could make myself run for."

"And if the kids start as they mean to go on they will soon find they are well ahead of their fellows" said Jade.

"Cacilia Von Freyer is not usually a joiner" said Bertel "Not because she is stuck up I think but because she has never found anything worth joining. But she is worth inviting in; she is our top scholar too as she takes five ZH's."

"Nefrita's studying six – plus Ancient Runes" said Traudl.

Bertel stared.

"Are all English so talented?" he gasped.

"No; I am a Malfoy as well as Von Strang" said Jade. "Most Malfoys take silly amounts of NEWTs. It keeps us from climbing the walls and figuring out ways to overthrow the government or take broomsticks to the moon or other futile things. There is a small but significant proportion of students who do not go past OWLs – what you call ZP's. And most students take only three or four NEWTs who do stay on. A few indeed take only one or two in their best subject to boost their pay and position. Of course, too, with a wider range of subjects there are more chances to find a talent; a boy at Hogwarts, I have heard, is a near squib but he has a talent with dowsing – even as the lad from Beauxbatons used in the Triwizard – AND an interest in Geomancy, and with those skills he can get a highly paid job as a guide for an Auror. Neither skill is offered here I believe?"

"Divination is so hit and miss a skill; we do not teach it because it is open to abuse" said Bertel.

Jade nodded.

"I can't say I've ever viewed it as much beyond an object of derision" she said "Save for the few for whom it comes naturally; the reason it is taught in English schools is to find those few by giving them the opportunity to lark about with different techniques in case they find one that works. I'm a bit equivocal about how I feel about that I guess. The squib kid got a lot out of that; but past the first year I'd say it was a waste of time without real talent. My recollections of divination involve peering futilely into a crystal ball and making up any old nonsense that came into my head. I believe once that I predicted that the school would be overrun by giant beetles wanting to turn humans into buttons."

There was laughter among the older ones and the joke was explained to the new first years.

People were arriving left and right by now including Hasso and Herwald Langbessen, the older boy dumping his brother with relief on Jade as his lady. Jade sent the three of the small ones to find likely talent to fight bullies; it saved her having to listen to childish conversation and that was how it worked in the MSHG after all, which was effectively what they were forming.

"If you find any straight away it is all good, but we still have two days" said Jade "With people arriving all the time."

"Please, Fraulein Baronin, it is required for first years to arrive on the first day unless they can find very good excuse" said Herwald "Or come from somewhere very strange!"

"The better for us then, hmmm?" said Jade

"I am not sure exactly what sort you are looking for, Fraulein Von Strang" said Elfleda.

Jade smiled at her.

"Why, Vöglein, the kind of open, friendly kiddies that the three of you would wish to be friends with; not those you would pick because it is advantageous to your social development. I am advantageous to your social development so you can afford to choose convivial children who would like to learn to fight bullies. Some may seem self seeking at first, and may like the child who tripped Sofie indeed be so; or it may be armour because they fear. This you will have to find out; and that is your first major duty as my fags."

They ran off happily, Elfleda delighted to be given an endearment of being named 'birdling' in the explanation.

Sofie leaned briefly on Jade before joining the others.

"Will I be your Vöglein?" she asked.

"Oh you are my Blümchen" said Jade cheerfully; and Sofie ran off happily to be called a 'flowerling'.

Big boys of eleven might disdain such fondlings but little girls still liked them it seemed when away from home.

They came back before long with a boy and a girl.

"Fraulein Baronin, this is Lady Leva Levadeva from the Ukraine daughter of Graf Levadev" said Elfleda, carefully giving the little girl her title "As it is not a German title and is morover the title from her father it will equate to yours in status so as a younger she is still your inferior in Durmstrang; but better for her that she be fag to a SOCIAL equal."

The new little boy snorted.

Jade regarded him with amusement. He was a faintly Slavic looking child with red hair standing in all directions and clever, hungry eyes.

"Not a communist, my boy?" she asked.

"No Fraulein; but I do not see that those of elevated social rank should be pampered when we are at school to gain education."

"Oh none of my fags will be pampered; but you will be the gainers from the extra you will learn for your hard work" said Jade. "Leva has perhaps been pampered; or perhaps not. I have never been so. I think it is no preparation to pamper a child, but it will be a very different situation for all of you to go from being the jewel of your house and your family's affections to a school where you are at the beck and call of all. It is kind of Elfleda to think of Leva's feelings. I thing though that someone called 'Lioness' will do very well though, hmmm?"

"I want to work with people to stand up to bullies please Fraulein Von Strang" said Leva putting up a firm little chin.

Jade nodded.

"You'll do just fine, Kätzchen" she said, feeling that 'kitten' was a good name for one named Lioness. "And what of you, Comrade Cynic?" she said to the boy, speaking Russian.

"My name is Arkadi Rasputin and I am in descent of the Mudblood Monk wizard healer" he said "I want to learn all I can. I am low born and of much mixed blood but I am clever."

"That seems quite sufficient to me; so long as you are also a comrade in the true sense to your fellows. My fags do NOT fight for the honour of a particular service; they work together. They help each other. If one struggles with schoolwork the others help out and take more fagging duties to give the struggling one more time; and they let me know so I may coach. My fags are as brothers and sisters. If you cannot live with this you need not consider yourselves any longer my fags. Is this clear?"

Five little heads nodded solemnly.

"Very well; check there are no more then report back to me" said Jade.

Traudl's fag had arrived by this time and was introduced; Zyrillis Genauschüren listened to the idea of a club to improve skills and stand against bullies and nodded shrewdly.

"Thank you for inviting me" he said gravely, clicking his heels punctilliously.

Nachtigall arrived late on the first day; and picked out immediately a new face.

That the new face was one of serene elfin beauty did tend to draw glances. Her figure was also trim and shapely and she was obviously not a first year; for her inches however it never occurred to Nachtigall that she might be his own age.

"You – come here" he commanded, pointing at her.

Jade looked around then remarked to Traudl,

"Who do you suppose that boor is addressing so churlishly?"

"Traudl, punish her!" said Nachtigall.

"He appears to be addressing us" said Traudl.

"What a shame that there should be such ruffian trash in this school" said Jade calmly. "The dignified thing is to ignore such; the croaking of toads can never please but it is not, after all, of any import."

Nachtigall had his wand out by now.

"You lower school brat you have one chance to apologise!" he screeched.

"Stupid and unobservant as well as boorish I see, Traudl" said Jade "How I pity you for having had such in your class for so long! You are most tolerant not to have disciplined him before now."

"_CRUCIO!_" screeched Nachtigall, his wand on Jade.

She smiled at him.

"And not especially talented either" she said. "You do it like THIS" and pointed a finger at him. It took a deal of concentration to cast the cruciatus curse wandlessly and wordlessly; but she did it for effect.

Nachtigall screamed and fell to the floor writhing. Jade released him almost immediately.

"What is this?" the voice of Herr Rebet cut through the proceedings.

"That new brat attacked me Herr Rebet!" said Nachtigall instantly.

Rebet viewed him with dislike.

"Funny; for you have your wand out and Baronin Von Strang does not. I came to tell you Fraulein Baronin that an owl arrived just now with confirmation of your title. I see what appears to be an impromptu duel; it were better to make it more formal. I shall mark out a piste" his eyes gleamed. He had seen the boy go down screaming and hoped to see him bested. This girl after all understood the importance of potions; she did not accord it the second class status many Germans did.

Jade walked round the designated area and chanted in the usual protection spells.

"I did not think that you studied enchantment Nefrita" said Traudl.

"I have studied to OWL and I studied too the art of chanting" said Jade serenely "It was also something that was made much of at Cackle's before the new regime. It is of great use and can enhance one's skill as a potioneer."

"Is that so?" Rebet was interested. "You must tell me more some time, Fraulein. The spells seem secure and adequate to me" he added using a revelaspell. "Enter the piste both of you."

"I don't want to fight her! She cheats by not using a wand!" whined Nactigall.

Jade glanced at him with amused surprise.

"Why, Herr Quabbelig, you do not have to use a wand either if you do not wish to" she said.

Nachtigall bared his teeth at being called 'Mr Flabby'.

"I cannot cast wandlessly" he said between is teeth.

"So? It is now cheating that I have greater skill then you? Indeed as casting wandlessly and wordlessly is undoubtedly harder than using focus and incantation I shall hand my wand to Traudl to take care of and I shall speak no incantation to take a handicap when dealing with a precious little girl like yourself, Herr Quabbelig. Is that acceptable, Herr Rebet?"

"It would seem an adequate handicap" said Rebet, who was enjoying seeing Nachtigall sweat.

They faced each other; and Jade saw the intent form behind the boy's eyes.

She ostentatiously created a mirror in front of her.

"I wouldn't" she said.

His eyes widened.

"How did you…"

"I know your sort" she said curtly. "If you EVER try the killing curse on me, be assured it will meet with a mirror that will kill you. Now fight you coward."

Nachtigall was so shaken that he could scarcely cast; and each curse he managed was contemptuously knocked aside. Then Jade smiled.

It was not a pleasant smile.

Her friend's family had spent long years incarcerated in fact and incarcerated in lycanthropy because of the machinations of this boy's father, with, she had not doubt, the full support of the boy himself.

She pulled off the transfiguration of her life, turning him with the hideous painful slowness of the way it really happened into a werewolf, letting him feel the intellect slipping away from him so that he howled in terror and despair before she brought him back.

"That's for Katarina whom I know and respect" she said conversationally before cycling him through a series of other creatures more noted for amusement value than dignity; an armadillo; a diricawl that muggles call a dodo; a camel; a tapir and a giant snail. It had a yellow body with a red shell and if nobody else here had seen 'Magic Roundabout' it at least amused Jade. Then she returned him to his quivering outraged and terrified self, dropped a curse of zits on his forehead reading 'Schwein', gave him a pig's nose, disarmed him, dropped a langlock on him and hoisted him in the air by one ankle.

"My win I think" she said.

"Demonstrably" said Rebet. "You may both leave the piste."

Jade did so. Nachtigall made inarticulate noises.

"It would be unfair not to give the boy the dignity of attempting to release himself" said Rebet.

"Indeed" agreed Jade gravely. "If he has not released himself by after the evening meal I shall do so; missing a meal will do him no real harm."

Rebet did not quite grin in wild glee but Jade knew he was delighted.

This boy had ruled too long in the school and made the life of a disabled, low born professor miserable. The new girl could enact some own back for him for she had the social status to get away with it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Elfleda trotted over with a small boy as Jade was also approached by a tall distinguished looking Germanic girl. Jade gave her attention to the small fag; for to her she owed loyalty.

"Please Fraulein Von Strang, this is Kjell Orn and he would like to be your fag; he was not happy at first because of the cruciatus curse but he DID cast it first and he says your solutions were merciful in the duel."

"Depends on whether you're looking at damage to the body or the self esteem" said Jade to Kjell "I wasn't feeling merciful; I know this boy's cousin you see and he and his father have not been exactly pleasant. His father arranged to have his own brother dispossessed by bearing false witness that he was a werewolf."

"Oh, I had been going to ask why the slow change to wolf" said the boy. "That seems very just if he knew about it."

"He taunted his cousin; which seems enough proof of that" said Jade. "Well if you've a finely developed sense of justice that seems like a good start; you are Norwegian?" the boy nodded and Jade went on "I know no Norwegian I am afraid; only Finnish."

Kjell beamed.

"My German is very good though" he said.

"It is" complimented Jade. "Now run along my good kids; this Fraulein is desirous of having words with me."

"Cacilia Von Freyer" said the girl holding out a hand "You did a nice job on Nachtigall. I wanted to congratulate you. By the by, how many fags HAVE you? They appear to be knee deep!"

Jade grinned ruefully as she shook hands.

"Six" she said. "Engaging tykes, aren't they?"

Cacilia laughed.

"I can't really talk; I have as many myself, only collected over a number of years! It does include two sets of twins, however, the first ones Zlatko and Zlatka Asimov importuned me firmly when I was in the fourth because they liked my face and they did not like many of the sixth at the time. And they firmly introduced my youngest fag to me last year, she is a Bulgarian like them. I acquired Xanthe and Xanthippe Eulenspiegel when they were setting a deadfall on their first day here before even getting to school!"

Jade laughed.

"With a name like that I suppose mischief literally IS their second name – in descent of the legendary Til I suppose?"

"Yes; the tales of his involvement with the wizarding community are legion and I think not available to muggles; or, really, out of Germany. I shall lend you my book if you wish."

"I'd love that" said Jade. "Tell me, is Xantippe well named?"

"Oh you are a classics scholar too? Well, she is a bit inclined to argue but she is no scold or nag, just a trifle….contrary. I always tease her she should have been born English."

Jade laughed.

"That would suit!" she agreed equably.

"Your German is perfect; I asked Herr Rebet about you. I hope you do not mind?"

"Goodness no! If one wishes information it is well to ask; though I have sat firmly on those who have asked me but rudely who I am and if I will know my place."

"Quite so! But tell me; how come you to be here? It is said that Prince Peak has a superior selection of subjects and an academic head."

Jade cast _muffliatus_.

"Anett Breuer said I should trust you" she said "So I shall."

She proceeded to fill Cacilia in on who she really was and what she was doing and how she hoped to effect a rescue of all the werewolves by infiltrating ODESSA ; and then she sniffed hard and confessed how much she missed her baby boy and how glad she was of a dear stepdaughter to love him for her.

Cacilia was staring.

"I think you are insane!" she said "But it is a wonderful, selfless and brave insanity! And Anett felt me worthy to join you in your quest towards a fairer Germany as well as your short term goals?"

Jade nodded.

"Highborn supporters will make a difference" she said. "Will you be part of it? If you will not I fear I must place a compulsion in you not to speak of this."

"I will be your supporter" said Cacilia "You have made an odd choice of friend in Traudl though; she has ever been a supporter of Nachtigall. I offered her some friendship early on but she attached herself to him for he boasted much how he would rise."

"She has much armour to protect herself" said Jade "She has reasons to protect herself and her sister; she made a poor choice. If she wishes to revise that choice I will not refuse to give her the chance. I have not been frank yet with her or Bertel Elstrup; maybe later. You I have been advised to trust and I will confess to you that I have safeguarded myself by using legilimensy on you."

Cacilia gasped.

"You are a legilimens? So young? But how prudent! I take no offence, naturally! With such a skill I think you have a better chance of success; have you studied also occlumensy?"

"Picked up legilimensy through learning it" said Jade laconically.

"Excellent! I will speak also to Lazlo Ijas and Rodica Nistor of this so-called English Customs Club; they would be good additions, we have a loose alliance against Nachtigall though nothing formal, for I am not sure how to organise as you seem to know how to do. And all our fags may join?"

"If they abide by brotherhood to all other members" said Jade.

"I am not totally sure of Lazlo's fag; he would spy on us if someone convinced him it was his duty" said Cacilia. "Perhaps I might not ask Lazlo; he would take offence if other fags are invited and his is not. And yet… the child is a friend of the Eulenspiegel twins; and loyal utterly to them. I wrong him. Wencelada – Rodica's fag – is a sweet child but one must have care of her; she has a heart defect her own country's medical wizards have been unable to cure."

Jade snorted.

"I will look at her" she said. "I play here that Potions is my main thing; but transfigurations are my major field of expertise. I have healed many things and I itch to sort out Herr Rebet's lungs."

"Is it possible?"

"Eminently" said Jade dryly. "It is subtle; and requires understanding too of muggle science; but then, I do."

Jade slept for the first time with some of her female class mates in a cramped dormitory; Cacilia introduced Rodica to her and spoke of the club; also there were Franziska Schiff, one of Nachtigall's satellites though not for long as she was soon off on an amorous adventure with a handsome young Russian groom who had brought the Russian contingent by flying carriage. Traudl was there of course, a girl called Mereta Ulvang from Norway who had escorted, rather unwillingly, young Kjell; and a Russian girl. Antonina Costina was a rather arrogant girl, ready to be cautiously unbending to a Fraulein Baronin but wanting to know all details of how this irregular background had come about and a little taken aback that Jade admitted

"I'm a bastard. So is my mother. So are half the founders of the great families of Europe. I was born like it and so have it by right; people like the Nachtigall fellow have had to work to achieve their status as bastard."

She had released Nachtigall from the _levicorpus_ – also silently so he did not know _liberacorpus_ the counter; and from the langlock. She left his nose and the zits in place and informed him that it was an improvement. And when he swore at her she had restored the langlock and made him kneel as a gesture of his desire to have it removed and his acquiescence not to swear any more.

He begged well enough that she also restored his nose, as she informed him.

As a consequence he was avoiding her and most other people treated her with some circumspection; and Jade liked it that way.

Jade had meanwhile seen the Eulenspiegel twins and determined that it had been they and the cronies they greeted with delight whom she had encountered in the nocturnal corridor of Durmstrang when she was there for the Triwizard. The two little girls had allies in two little boys. The fourth might also join them then; that was good, a contingent of middle school plotters was always useful to have in any secret society.

Cacilia proved a most able lieutenant in plotting if uncertain how to go about starting it – which state of affairs seemed extraordinary to Jade who could not comprehend how it was that so many clever people had no gift whatsoever for setting about serious planning and leading – and introduced Lazlo and his fag, and all of her own fags to Jade. Naturally, nothing was said of Jade's real name or mission; it was safer for the children that way at first at least, however loyal they might prove. The child Wencelada, a wan olive child nearer green than brown in shade, arrived at the last minute from Spain on the heels of two girls from Kazakhstan, the one being obviously in the position of maid-companion to the other and her education as payment; and both fairly sufficient unto each other. Rodica had time to speak to the child, and motioned to Jade to join them in a carriage.

The carriages were blood red and drawn by Abraxans; they were impressive affairs.

There was only room in each for half a dozen of the upper sixth and a couple of fags each at most. Cacilia had bagged one – with all her fags – and beckoned Rodica and Wencelada and Jade to join them. A dreamy looking Russian boy got in too and plumped himself down in a corner, meaning there was only room for a couple of Jade's small ones. Cacilia raised her eyes heavenwards and sighed. Jade produced a die from mid air and threw it a couple of times and pointed to the boys.

"I tossed in order of getting you; seemed fairest" she said "You girls stick close together, stay by Traudl."

They nodded wide eyed and followed Elfleda's sister, Bertel and Yorick into another carriage.

Jade smiled at Wencelada as soon as they were settled.

"Buenas diaz; com' 'sta?" she said politely "I have heard your heart has some damage; permit me to see if I might understand and cure it."

"Please, they said it was too difficult to cure Fraulein" said the child.

Jade snorted.

"Yes, I have heard others say as much who are afraid that their own skills are insufficient but who cannot bear to admit that others might be better" she said, whipping out her wand. "Ah yes; it is a complex and ticklish piece of work. Fortunately I am great" she said, and winked at the child who giggled. "It will require more than a standard transfiguration; I shall chant over you my child. Have patience."

With this she proceeded to start to sing a song of healing, drawing the damaged valves into better shapes, growing extra blood vessels where too many fused together. It was a far more complex problem than could readily be healed by ordinary transfiguration, this she acknowledged; perhaps she and her parents and siblings were the only people in the world capable of healing such a confused and poor little heart, whose surrounding blood vessels had not properly sorted themselves out in fully differentiated functions but were in places fused inappropriately. No wonder the child looked so unhealthy!

When Jade had begun singing, the upper sixth boy, the dreamy Russian boy who had gatecrashed the carriage, had frozen, then leaped to his feet rather precariously in the flying carriage.

"Ah, but you are truly musical!" he cried. Jade gestured him away with a hand; she was busy. Fortunately he subsided and listened intently as she blended chant and song and wand work to do her work; which virtually amounted to rebuilding the child's heart.

At length she sank back, fairly well exhausted.

"I apologise to the healers of your country" she said "That was the trickiest piece of healing I have ever done; only a chant was able to do it and I am fortunate in having been to the only school in the western world that teaches chanting formally. You should feel better all ready, little one."

Wencelada nodded, her cheeks suddenly gaining roses and her pose animation. She flung herself on Jade and hugged and kissed her.

"There now, child; I am glad to do it" said Jade.

"You are of a kindness that I would not have expected of one of high blood who has left the English school for their policies" said Rodica.

"Is not the potter given power to make of one vessel honour and of another dishonour?" quoted Jade obscurely.

Coming out with philosophy and such crap was usually a good way to forestall further questions because most people were afraid that their question had been answered and to ask further made them look both foolish and rude.

And for truly enquiring minds she would use Latin or Ancient Greek for her obscure tags.

The Russian boy said

"Teach me to do that! I have always known there was more; Music is everything to me; if it will also drive magic then my life will be complete!"

"Well now, I think introductions are in order" laughed Jade, who was starting to recover "I am Nefrita Von Strang; and I can certainly teach you chanting if you wish. Professor Rebet was also keen to learn. I will ask if he will mind sharing a class with others of like mind or if it will upset his dignity. Some Professors are stuffier than others. But it is very useful for potioneering."

"He is not musical" said the boy.

"It is possible to chant without music; for me – as for you – music comes easily and I choose to do it that way. I would teach the basics with limited music and leave the talented to add their own."

"I too should like to learn then" said Rodica "I study Potions and Herbology and Enchanting to be a medical potioneer; if I may do by chanting what you can do, that I am no good at transfigurations will not matter."

Jade regarded her.

"I was using a lot of transfiguration there too; I will not conceal it" she said "But you may do much with a chant that circumvents a lack of talent for you build up the magical effect layer by layer, part by part, instead of having to change all in one fell swoop. It is a gentler, more subtle way even as potioneering is subtle. And you have still not told me my new friend's name" she added, indicating the Russian boy.

He bowed rather jerkily.

"Volodya Potishev at your service" he said.

"That's 'at your service' until a tune writes itself in his head and he drifts off into fairlyland" explained Rodica. "Mind you he CAN manage transfiguration; and Arithmancy! He's in my enchanting class too" she added.

"Chanting and Arithmancy and music all go well together" said Jade. "We can then build on the amount of basic chanting you have done in enchanting; it is formularised even as the number of stirs for a potion are formularised, but have had to be worked out by an arithmancer. Even so the chants in enchanting have been worked out by a chanter. It helps if you have studied poetry."

"I write poetry" said Rodica flushing "But I do not want people like Nachtigall to find out; I would be ridiculed."

"Still? In the sixth? How uncivilised" said Jade. "Ah well, I shall make it a hobby of mine to jinx Nachtigall every time he crosses my path until he learns not to. Volodya, you'd better join our club too."

"Excuse, might younger ones also learn this?" asked one of the older pair of twins, Jade thought the girl but they made enough of an effort to look alike it was hard to tell without knowing them better.

"If they are ready to work hard and treat it as serious" said Jade.

"What else may it be used for?" asked one of the younger twins.

"To enhance potion ingredients; to remove – or bestow – curses; to perform magic out of line of sight; to strengthen enchantments; to set up wards of protection; to enhance any spell effect. A chant may be as subtle and complex as you care to make it; and alter or remove any spell as one chooses. The words on Nachtigall's forehead, since I put them there, I might chant concerning them, sitting here and far removed, and either remove them or make them flash neon green. No I shall not; it trivialises it" she added as the child opened her mouth to ask if she would do the latter. "An enchantment is the tying of a spell effect or multiplicity of spell effects to an object; chanting is the production of a spell effect tailored to circumstance and environment and may affect an object or build for itself an object of sheer pure magic. The wards that make a place unplottable or which produce an anti apparating zone are almost always tied to enchanted stones set at cardinal points; the same magic can be set up purely by chanting. Enchanted objects hold the advantage of being useable by anyone with the least vestige of magical power; and unless a chant is performed by a master have the durability of permanence if properly enchanted" she smiled at Wencelada "You need not fear about your heart, little one, for when I say 'permanent' I think in terms of millennia not decades or centuries. And yet an enchanter cannot UNDO what he has not himself done; curse breaking using pure Arithmancy is possible but the chanter adds layers to that arithmantic basis and if he is a musician or poet requires little knowledge of Arithmancy so long as their sense of rhythm is perfect and in tune with the task in hand. And I'm not going to lecture any more until I have a class; I want to look out of the window."

Jade gazed down on the endless forest and the silvery sparkle of the river that would presently open up into the great lake before Durmstrang and reflected that so far she was doing better than she might have expected; even if things were taking a different direction to what she had envisaged or indeed intended. She had meant to be a hard faced loner to avoid interacting with other Durmstrangers and maybe have a coterie of first years under her protection. And yet there were those even in the sixth willing to fight the oppressions of the bullies! Why had they never done so before?

She answered her own question.

Because they needed the direction of somebody strong minded who had a sense of self worth that did not spill over into arrogance – well not very much – and who had not been ground down by the very atmosphere of Durmstrang all their school life. They were ready to rebel but they had to be told not only how, but that this was in fact what they were doing. And so well conditioned were they, it would take much training for them to see that wanting to strike back at bullies meant a strike across all of society at all that was rotten within. She might not even have time within the year; but as adults in society they might then be more amenable to Anett's leadership in the future.

And it had taken a combination of Hedda Schrempf, Mortimer Bane and the blatant unfairness of German marking to make Anett ready to fight back. For most, the Durmstrang experience was to be endured rather than enjoyed; a horrifying thing to Jade, who had loved almost every minute of her school days.

She needed an ally on the staff to continue her work; though if Anett was to come back to teach by deposing Schrempf there would be a replacement for her; and a ready made MSHG equivalent. Well, best not to try to run before she could walk; and foolish to look on Herr Rebet as a possible ally; for it was merely because he was a potions master of somewhat embittered nature. There were less parallels to dad than wishful thinking could make; he had a hardness that was indifference to his pupils, Jade thought; Dad had always got too easily involved with negative emotions. Really, Madam Bacsó herself might be her best bet; the woman must be fed up with the foolish toils of ODESSA by now, and the embarrassment they brought to her. She was no fool; and had, like Traudl, an eye to the main chance.

And something that must be remembered was that Jade had not troubled to avoid making enemies; and if enemies combined life might be made hard. It was NOT a decent English school with fair staff; but a school where even the staff were swayed by who was in power – and who was not. Heinrich Nachtigall knew that too and was going to be like a cornered rat clinging to what advantages he could until his ZH's were done, in the knowledge that if his father was convicted ignominiously for fraud he would be as nothing; not perhaps quite in the same situation as Frances Hodgeson Burnett's 'Little Princess' clad in black and condemned to live in an attic and skivvy for her food; but metaphorically he might as well be. And he was of the type that a fall makes meaner rather then teaching humility and nobility of manner. Jade had, after all, seen enough of those from condemned deatheater families and the ways they behaved to pick types now she was old enough to look objectively upon the world; and her experiences helping Dimsie Burke against her initial will had been part of shaping and teaching that objectivity. Jade had learned much of tolerance from that period, and was alive more to her own prejudices.

And her prejudices against the children of Durmstrang were being eroded; there were more than she had thought of decent kids not spoiled by the place; those perhaps who were protected as fags of decent types who had been thus protected in their turn.

It was possible to steal Durmstrang from within.

If only she had Wulf at her side she could do it too.

Well, that was to dream after for now, and plan for when she was more consolidated in her position.

The brooding castle that was to be Jade's home for the next year came into sight at the other end of the dark, forbidding lake. It was an impressive approach – designed to be, of course, to cow juniors suitably – and Jade was not sure if she likened it more to Orthanc or Cirith Ungol in her mind. It was decidedly Tolkeinian. From the ground, with the lake, Moria of course sprang always to mind and Jade had always disliked the water almost as much as Frodo had done in the book. So far as this lake was concerned in the real world, she would not have been at all surprised if a kraken or similar lived within doubtless fed on those deemed blood liars or elves who got too old to work. She worked on not shivering; such fanciful thoughts were not to be pursued. The reality was doubtless bad enough without foolish ideas on top of that.

Madam Bacsó herself was there to greet the carriages and Jade could tell by the murmurs of surprise from her new class mates that this was not usual. She automatically dropped a curtsey, to the sniggers of some of the other youths.

Madam Bacsó looked on her with approval.

"Fraulein Baronin…my congratulations on the confirmation of your title. You upper sixth, I wish you to come with me."

The upper sixth followed; house elves came to whisk the luggage away within. Even fags got served by house elves. Madam Bacsó led the youths to her office.

"Fraulein Von Strang has, as you observed, been trained in certain usages of courtesy in her years in an English school" said Madam Bacsó "And I have felt it very deeply at the last two Triwizard competitions that I have been shamed by the poor manners of my own pupils. I am Hungarian; and Hungarians like Austrians feel that manners are important. Therefore as we have Fraulein Von Strang among us as an example to help teach the younger ones how it should be done we shall be instituting the custom of rising for the staff and curtseying for the girls and for the boys an inclined head and properly clicked heels when greeting or taking leave of the head."

"Rising – what at meal times?" demanded one of Nachtigall's satellites.

"Excuse me, how do you dare address your head in so brusque and rude a manner?" asked Jade scandalised. "Whether you feel personal liking or dislike is immaterial, your head has achieved her position by superior knowledge and you should show respect to that! And rising, you fool, means whenever a staff member comes into the room, to commence a lesson, to visit a lesson, to enter a common room to seek someone out or yell at the pupils for the noise they make. And when the staff join us at meals yes, of course, most assuredly."

The boy, a Dutch lad, glared at her.

"You make much of such childish foolishness."

"As it is the request of Madam Bacsó, whose desire is to have young ladies and gentlemen in her school not boors you have just called childish and foolish, I think you owe her an apology."

The boy gaped.

"You do indeed DeWitt" said Madam Bacsó "It is not custom for the staff to discipline sixth formers; but if in your year of the sixth you have got so much above yourself as to require reminding who is the head of this school and who is only a pupil – even if his father is a Stadtholder among the wizarding community of the low countries – then I will do it."

De Witt paled.

"I apologise for causing offence Frau Professor Bacsó" he said "But I query that this should be necessary. We have never done it before. Why is it necessary?"

"Perhaps if we had before had expressions of respect towards the staff ingrained I should not have had to consider disciplining you because your respect to me might have been ready and in no need of prompting" said Madam Bacsó dryly. "And if YOU enjoy being referred to by the English and French children as a 'bunch of sausage-eating peasant yokels who have no concept of gentility' then I do NOT enjoy hearing such judgements. And when one hears a part GOBLIN boy saying 'they can't help it, they are but beer-swilling German pigs who don't understand class and we should pity them' then I for one am angered that these English feel that an impurity like THAT has more breeding than my pupils!"

There was a shocked silence.

"They cannot feel that, surely?" demanded Antonina Kostina "And besides we are not all Germans, some of us come from civilised countries!"

"Look here!" began Nachtigall.

"I don't think she wants to; it wasn't a pretty sight even before I adorned it" said Jade coolly.

"Are you responsible for that, Fraulein Von Strang?" demanded Madam Bacsó.

Jade bobbed a curtsey.

"Yes Ma'am; Professor Rebet will tell you all about it" she said "He was kind enough to officiate at a duel; suggested it in fact. I am not obliged to remove all the effects from the losing principal; his friends have that liberty. I did put his nose back to normal, leaving it as a snout might have been an insult to pigs."

Madam Bacsó blinked, assimilated, and decided to let that pass.

"I see; well if it was a duel then such is the way it went" she said. "Fraulein Kostina, in answer to your question, I fear that the English attitude is such that the way one is perceived is in how one acts; perhaps Fraulein Von Strang can explain?"

"To an English person" said Jade "The degree of manners one displays and the way one speaks indicate the class in which one has been brought up. It is good breeding to acknowledge respect for the attainments of others especially those in loco parentis like one's professors. It is good manners for men to rise when a lady enters the room in a social situation. Rising indicates respect. In English society you know exactly what social position is occupied by the way someone speaks. This is perhaps more noticeable these days in muggle society since during the Voldemort years, social difference was somewhat eroded by common fears in the wizarding community. However the English view is that Durmstrang is predominantly German; and that Germans tend to be crass of manner and guilty of social gaucherie. The behaviour of the pupils of Durmstrang over the last two Triwizards has tended rather to reinforce that opinion I suspect. I certainly applaud Madam Bacsó's decision as I have moved to this school to escape the too liberal policies of modern English schools where non humans are concerned; but I have made personal academic sacrifice to do so and would prefer not to be numbered merely as a boor from that German school. You must endeavour to understand that on an island, when one is in close communication with one's neighbour and no large tracts of land, being polite is not a fad but imperative to avoid constant duels. On the continent one may be as rude as one likes without expecting to encounter the person one has been rude to very often. Proximity maketh politeness. And so an English person would rather converse with a polite goblin who therefore shows he knows the rules than with an uncouth foreigner, no matter how pure his blood. An English person is more concerned with social usage in conversation than pure bred ancestors on the family tree. They, after all, are dead and are not in the conversation. I think that covers it" and she dropped another curtsey.

"I hope that has made it a little clearer to you" said Madam Bacsó "And also I have read old records and found that there WAS a time when such polite usage was common; it was eroded by the followers of Gellert Grindelwald who as youths refused to acknowledge any but him as worthy of respect; a singularly childish and foolish rebellion for however worthy any one person may be of respect, it does NOT follow that others are by definition NOT so worthy."

"It actually diminishes the one that they would wish to respect the more" said Jade dryly "By saying that he is worthy of a little respect only and so we must refuse to respect others for our führer is so little a man we must do something to try to make him look bigger by making others look smaller."

"Indeed yes" said Madam Bacsó, rather taken with that cogent argument. "Therefore, my children, it is my desire that you will spread this to the fags that you have and rise with them at supper when I shall explain the decision to the body of the school. And we may hope that others will follow my upper sixth who will lead by example."

"I shan't rise" muttered De Witt.

"You will – one way or another" said Jade quietly.

Madam Bacsó glanced at her.

"Fraulein Von Strang, have you chosen a fag yet?" she asked.

"I appear to have acquired half a dozen, ma'am" said Jade "They seem to think me worthy to serve; and I suppose each will have little enough to do."

Nachtigall glared. He had only two fags. It wasn't fair that she and Cacilia had von as part of their name! If only his father had managed to rise more in the Prince's notice they too might have been ennobled! And now there was his uncle somehow cured of being a werewolf and the awful lawsuit over his head!

It was too bad!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The upper sixth shared studies and slept four to a room in greater privacy than lower years and might be permitted to choose their partners providing – said Madam Bacsó archly – they were all of the same sex.

This prompted naughty Jade to turn to Cacilia and say,

"Cacilia, if you are a raging lesbian, tell me now and I'll pick a harmless little girl like Nachtigall."

Cacilia gurgled with laughter.

"Not I; I have no leanings for such passions, dear Sappho. We shall have also Rodica and Traudl?"

"Eminently suitable" said Jade "And our collective fags will have to stack three deep to get them all into the study."

"Well some of us are less greedy than others" drawled Traudl, who was finding that Jade did not confuse teasing with ill manners. "Rodica and I just want a small corner for our fags; not being so over-endowed as you two."

"Oh we shall brew for them the draught of Living Death and stack them neatly in a cupboard until wanted" said Jade cheerfully "Laid between pairs of twins as bookends for symmetry."

"You're an ass" said Cacilia amicably "I shall tell them what you said."

"Do" said Jade, cordially "And tell them that if they irritate I shall also poison them."

"That I shan't" said Cacilia "Poor babes, they might believe you!"

As those of highest social rank Jade and Cacilia had first choice of their shared room; and Jade suggested a corner room in a turret, a little inconvenient for the fags but with fourteen between them they need turn out less often and the view and the remoteness from others was pleasant.

Nachtigall thought her a fool; convenience to his fags was not uppermost in his mind but the thought of being far enough from the kitchens for food brought to have cooled right down he did not think reasonable, and chose for HIS companions a room near the hub of the castle, where stairs ran down to the kitchen and the common rooms were close so that fags were quicker to summon. His intimates chosen were De Witt, and the two German boys of his gang, Ritter Kesselring and Clovis Gierek, half Polish but a cut, in Nachtigall's mind above the last, Norwegian boy of his set, who must hope to settle with a group that was none of his kind.

As Bertel and Lazlo grabbed dreamy Volodya and asked Madam Bacsó if they might have a three to permit the other two boys some company they were to be happy; and Thom Bilkvam must share with Swiss Seppi Buser who, as Bertel said, had no VICE in him save of knowing that he was right and expecting others to implement the plans of his rightness.

It may be said that the three had got Lazlo to ask to appeal to a fellow Hungarian in the head; there were no flies on Bertel.

The fags approved of the turret rooms, with windows round most of the study.

"It'll be harder to keep out draughts but the VIEW!" said Jade.

"It is like a ship at sea!" said Sofie.

"Have you ever been on a ship at sea?" demanded Herwald.

"No but I can imagine" retorted Sofie.

"And probably a sight more comfortable as an imaginary ship than a real one is" said Jade firmly. "We're going to draw up a rota and for study duties hold the lot of you in common; four of you at a time will be on duty and we shall show you how to make perfect snacks on our fire and you will learn fast 'cos you'll be tasting them to check you never poisoned us. And we'll let the ones on duty do their prep in with us so you are on hand for us as we need you and to avoid you having to run so far. Deal?"

"You are as fair as Fraulein Von Freyer, Fraulein Von Strang" said Zlatko, the male of the Bulgarian twins.

"Thank you; this is your training to lead one day also; and if you are not given the example of loyalty from a leader, you will not know when you have fags that you should give what you expect" said Jade.

"When do we start the club?" asked Xanthippe.

"Tomorrow morning at five thirty. We will walk the district not run to get our bearings and see how even the ground is for running, and we shall not go far. In general boys will retire to the private bathrooms of the males in the upper sixth, girls to ours. We shall work up a sweat running in future and in heavy duelling. We need a place wher we can be private. Is there anywhere?"

"There is an unused dungeon next to the potions room" said Rodica "It is used as a lumber room but we could clear it."

"Better, we could clear it but leave lumber that we must walk around as a screen if any open the door" said Xanthe. "If I may presume to suggest."

"Good plan" said Jade. "The rule is, all opinions are valid; there is no rank, social or age, in the club so long as proper social usage is employed outside it. We all respect each other and we are all loyal to each other. You Eulenspiegels and uh, Adolph, you have another friend I think?"

"Yes, Alexand fags for Herr Buser but he will be able to come in the mornings" said Xanthe. "If he is invited?"

"Oh far be it for us to break a successful group of mischief-doers" said Jade.

The first night's feast was amusing enough. When the staff walked in, the upper sixth and substantial numbers of the lower school rose appropriately.

Klaas De Witt stayed firmly sat – briefly – then leaped to his feet with a yelp.

Jade restored the porcupine to being a chair seat once again.

Some of the others had copied their elders; and the first who were not yet chosen as fags or who belonged to Lower Sixth members rose hurriedly to copy those who seemed more in the know.

Madam Bacsó made announcement that this lost custom was to be reinstated to prevent her children being the laughing stock of Europe.

Showing respect to staff might not have swayed them; avoiding being a laughing stock did.

It should not be supposed that Nachtigall had viewed Traudl's defection to this awful English girl with any degree of equanimity; and indeed he had every intention of forcing her abject and apologetic return by leaning on her little sister, which would also be hurtful to Nefrita Von Strang.

Although that WOULD bring him to the terrible English girl's notice.

He might, however, readily harm Zyrillis Genauschüren of the second, Traudl's fag, and hint at what worse he might do to little Elfleda.

Getting Zyrillis to commit an act which might get him into trouble was another matter.

Zyrillis was as shrewd a child as any might meet; and had, moreover, been already a year at Durmstrang and had seen Nachtigall in action to try to discommode others he disliked by attacking their fags. He was half expecting it and voiced his concerns in the first ever meeting of the English Custom Club; and the club had its first real assignment of watching out for each other.

The Bulgarian twins had brought along another member too; a girl in their class called Gisela Schutzmann, who had been Anett Breuer's fag.

Cacilia had suggested it, without saying why.

Gisela was ready to accept that Anett had spoken to Cacilia and asked her to look out for Gisela; as indeed Anett had done.

"It is like Fraulein Breuer to be considerate" said Gisela, pleased "And if she knows of this club and approves then I approve also".

Herwald's brother was also in that form; but Herwald vetoed any idea of asking him.

"If anyone hurt my brother I'd want to retaliate but he's an inveterate gambler and if anyone offered to let him off his debts – or even offered to pay him a decent sum – if he ratted us up, he'd squeak so loud you'd see the naked tail twitching" he said graphically. "He is my brother and so I am bound to have some fondness for him; but alas I have no respect for him."

That was sad but Jade nodded. One could not risk anyone that unreliable.

They also took on another third year who had been fag to an upper sixth of the previous year and Cacilia accepted Scholastica Uccello as her fag officially because Scholastica talked very fast since her big sister was already being well bullied by Nachtigall in the year above and made his unofficial fag and – Scholastica was afraid – likely to be made to go to bed with him. Desolina was a beautiful child, with a skin almost as creamy as Jade herself, big pansy-brown eyes, exotic to a German boy, and an oval face that looked like the painting of a Madonna framed by a cascade of deep auburn hair. The Bulgarian twins collected her without a by your leave after breakfast, and informed Traudl that this was her new fag.

Zlatko and Zlatka were a managing pair.

And as official fag to someone else Nachtigall had no right to interfere with her; and the study voted that she and Zyrillis should have the right to come and go as they chose and do all their prep in safety with the older ones as Traudl's fags were at risk.

And Jade put a gentle compulsion on the gentle girl not to talk about the ECC other than how interesting and strange the customs were and how an umbrella had so much significance. She needed gentle handling; as had Melody Bloom when first she was a ward of the Snapes. She would blossom; Jade and the Azimov twins would make sure of that. And Jade also placed her in the care of Gisela in the belief it would be as Anett wished.

Gisela was delighted. Desolina was a bit weak willed for her liking as a friend, but to be given the trust of caring for her was something else. Especially as Jade explained that she should find things to praise in the quiet girl outside of her extraordinary good looks to boost her confidence and that she had every faith in Gisela in being able to bring her on.

And then they had lessons to start!

The first lesson Jade had was in transfigurations; the professor was called Attila Nagy and seeing how he strutted into the room as though he were the most important man in the world it looked as though he was well named. There were seven others in the exam group; only Cacilia and Volodya of Jade's group, and a substantial number of Nachtigall's gang in addition to the boy himself; only Mereta Ulvang was a neutral. Cacilia had described her as 'a natural social arithmancer; can add up the best advantage to herself faster than a goblin with an abacus works out what you owe him'.

She did admit that Mereta was the best transfigurationist in the class however.

Professor Nagy wanted to know what the new girl knew and Jade answered questions on Gamp's law and its exceptions, and on Assimilative Correlation and made asides on Gamp concerning the nature of matter and energy that had Nagy filled with delight.

He thought a lot of himself; but like Horace Slughorn he was delighted to come across true virtuosity. It is to be said that the lesson degenerated slightly into glazed eyed boredom on the part of all but Professor Nagy, Jade, Mereta and Cacilia, whose theory outstripped her practice, as they debated issues not entirely relevant to the requirements of the examinations board.

Nachtigall raised a hand.

"Yes my boy?" Nagy was eager. He thought Nachtigall a dull student; but perhaps he had studied in the holidays and had a serious contribution to make. Albeit that the boy seemed to have fallen foul of someone with a good line in jinxes by the word on his forehead.

"All this stuff mugged up from books is very well, sir, but can she DO anything?" he drawled.

"Goodness, Nachtigall, how you have the cheek to ask that after all the things she turned you into in the duel I don't know!" said Cacilia.

"My dear Fraulein, human transfiguration is very risky!" said Nagy.

"Sir, I have been taught how to leave the mind intact and to be aware of cross species organ accommodation" said Jade "I am an animagus also so the concept is not strange to me."

"Indeed! I pray you, show me!" demanded Nagy.

Jade shrugged into wolf, wagged her tail a couple of times and growled at Nachtigall.

She shrugged back.

"Excellent, excellent! How long have you had this form?"

"Oh, about two years now" said Jade. "It is a pleasing shape; wolves have excellent senses. One can scent sharp on the air the fear of inferiors" she added looking at Nachtigall.

"Well well! Let me see your ability at conjuration next" said Nagy.

Jade chose to use serpensortia and pointed her snake at Nachtigall and cronies.

There was a stampede of terror to get away.

"Such a fuss" murmured Jade, reluctantly banishing her temporary little snake. It would disappear on its own anyway if she did not take steps; and Jade had no desire to reveal that she was a Parselmouth.

Even if she had to do so in an emergency, and used the covering story that it ran in the Malfoy family, her character would NOT reveal it lightly.

The transfiguration she did before leaving the class was a quiet one and Nachtigall noticed no more than a faint tingle at the base of his spine.

He was unaware for a considerable time – since his friends dared not tell him – that he left the class sporting a curly tail.

Nachtigall may have been wary of hurting one of Jade's fags but his own fag was another matter, when the boy offended. And Jade, coming past the second year common room, heard Nachtigall's hectoring voice and a shrill if rather muffled scream.

Naturally she barged in.

The small boy stood on a table with his robes bundled up and tied to confine his arms and cover his head while Nachtigall used his wand to burn the child's bare legs. The other second years stood terrified, Zyrillis, Wencelada and the younger Bulgarian girl Diliana obviously wondering if they should do anything. Nachtigall's other cohorts were there, watching the juniors for insubordination between laughing at the little boy who writhed in pain, his feet held firmly by Klaas De Witt. Two of the second years stood with the bullies, one giggling, the other impassive.

"Tell them you're a liar, Von Rabe" said Nachtigall "Tell them that you lied about me having a tail!"

"Ah I see that you've hidden it under a robe, Nachtigall" said Jade glancing round at each of his fellows to bind them for a single spell. Nachtigall whipped round and his cronies went for wands. He smiled an unpleasant smile.

"Well! On your own, Von Strang….. grab her!" he said.

Wencelada, Diliana and Zyrillis jumped on the nearest, which was Stepanka Frolika; and let her go hastily when she, like all the rest was hoisted into the air by one ankle.

"Didn't you know old boy, that me on my own constitutes outnumbering you and your bully boys?" said Jade, levelly. "You children release that boy…. I understand the custom is that one may duel for possession of a fag. I cry duel for the child."

Nachtigall turned green.

"I'm not duelling you, English cheat!" he said.

"I keep telling you, scum, that you are also welcome to cast without word or wand if it is so cheating" said Jade. "But you can't because you're too inept, inutile and possibly also incontinent. Well then, if you will not duel I shall apply your own rules and beat you up to take him. And I don't believe I'll even sully magic by using it on you" she added, advancing.

Nachtigall was half as tall again as her and twice her weight or more.

He goggled; but grinned suddenly nastily.

He stopped grinning fairly quickly after Jade started; and the girl scientifically beat him up. Wencelada and Zyrillis watched, impressed; Nefrita Von Strang had told the ECC that they would learn physical means of self defence and they had been sceptical.

They were sceptical no longer.

Nachtigall was yammering loud enough that it might have brought a member of staff to see what was going on; had not Jade dropped a _muffliatus_ on the room.

She left him groaning on the floor with fractured ribs – very painful but not dangerous – plenty of deep bruises, and a well-chastised backside that she had practised Thai-kicks on. She went to the boy.

"Lift your robes, young Von Rabe" she said.

Fearfully, and in embarrassment, the boy did so.

Jade made a pass with her wand to heal the immediate damage, paused, and began chanting. There were cursed elements to these wounds. She wandered in a circle around the groaning Nachtigall and back around the second year, grinned and chopped her wand down in a sudden motion.

The wounds and scars vanished; and Nachtigall gave a sudden scream.

"Beauty of it is" said Jade to Nachtigall conversationally "You can complain all you like and the revellaspell will show the cursed scars on your legs to have come from YOUR wand. What, can't take what you hand out? Shouldn't be so ready to hurt if you can't take pain yourself. Better now, young Von Rabe?"

"Yes thank you Fraulein" said Von Rabe.

"All Axel did was tell us that Herr Nachtigall had been cursed with a pig's tail" said Zyrillis "And he was in temper about it. Axel warns us if we ought to be staying out of Herr Nachtigall's way."

"He used to get away with it because his father's a baron" said Wencelada "More than anyone else might, anyhow; but Herr Nachtigall is more intemperate this year."

"Partly that's the law suit and partly it's because I'm going out of my way to bully him" said Jade "I like bullying bullies; it's a hobby of mine."

"My father urged me to be the fag of a child of Nachtigall; he was friends with a Friedolf Nachtigall who he said was an honourable man" said the child Axel.

"He is" said Jade "I know him; his eldest daughter did a year at the school I was previously at. This one's father is Ritter Nachtigall who is a fraud, a liar and a mean piece of goods like his son. A man who finds a way round an unbreakable vow made on his father's deathbed not to cause his brother's death and goes out of his way instead to have that brother accused of being a werewolf to disinherit him is not a real man. Heinrich Nachtigall, or as I prefer to call him Herr Quabbelig, is not a man and never will be. His followers are weaklings who like to gang up on those smaller and weaker than them. The strong one left him. Well I just ganged up on them because all six of them are smaller and weaker than me."

"Please, Fraulein Baronin, what are you going to do with them?" asked Wencelada.

"They make our common room untidy" added Zyrillis.

"I'll GET you for that, Genauschüren!" said De Witt.

Jade went over to him.

"No, De Witt, you won't; because if you even try, the revenge I exact will be in proportion to whatever you do to the boy. And it will be in exponential proportion. I'm sure one of your group is enough of an arithmancer to explain what that means if it does not penetrate you high-born and low-slung brain." She looked round the suspended bullies. "I shall remove them; I can quite see that they are an embarrassment to you all here; pray open me a window; the weather is not so inclement as to cause them lasting harm for a bath to cool their seething spirits."

Jade used the _mobilocorpus_ spell to waft the seven unhappy bullies outside – she added Nachtigall to their number to 'cool his poor burns' – and cast _liberacorpus_ once they were over the lake.

Second years clustered at the windows to watch them splash down and struggle out.

"Oh how they will punish us now for not helping them!" wailed one child. "De Witt will hurt me so badly!"

"For not tackling a witch HE cannot take? Ah but it is not about logic of course, but about wanting to hurt" said Jade "WHAT a can of worms! How many of you would like to escape being fags of these bullies?"

"Me for one" said the child who had spoken up. "Vladimir LIKES helping De Witt hurt; he likes hurting me to make De Witt laugh."

"Shades of Leopold and Loeb" muttered Jade. "Anyone else?"

"Herr Kesselring is not unkind to me" said a little girl "And it is arranged that I should have his half brother as my fag when he comes to school."

"Then Herr Kesselring is more a gentleman than his fellows; will he be angered with you if you take that as a message to him and tell him that?" said Jade.

"No; he will not punish a messenger" said the child. "I will go to him now; he will want help with his wet clothing."

Jade nodded. She would see Kesselring later.

She looked at the one who had stood impassive and regarded him thoughtfully.

"I see your thoughts writ plain on your face" she said "You weigh up whether it is better to stay with your man or abandon him for another more powerful. I say that on those terms I will not have you; go to your man. And as for YOU" she rounded on the boy who had been enjoying Axel's pain "I have my eye on you. If I was you I should be wondering what was to happen to me at the hands of my fellows when De Witt leaves; because you'll still have five more years of schooling to survive."

The boy went pale.

"And what is your name laddie?" she asked the erstwhile fag to De Witt. "I need to tell it to Rodica Nistor whose fag you now are; for she is gentle and kind and less likely to be a risk to your safety than I am."

"I am Friedrich Eichhörnchen; but oh please, Fraulein! Will you also protect me?"

"I shall; our whole dormitory looks out for all our fags" said Jade.

"And don't even think of trying to tell us how to do things because you're the new boy in the study" said Diliana.

Jade pulled a private face. A child who 'knew best'; in other words a sort of a male Erica from the 'Dimsie' stories. Ah well, a few arranged things to let him get wrong and look foolish would cure him of that and make him a nicer child and more popular with his fellows

"Whose fag am I to be?" asked Axel.

"Mine" said Jade "I suspect you're a small imp of mischief; and I want to keep an eye on you. Besides, it is an act of friendship for Katarina Nachtigall to take on the son of her father's friend and I shall write to her of this."

Axel grinned.

He was entirely unabashed to be called a small imp of mischief. And it was good to be the fag of someone who understood family loyalty.

Ritter Kesselring wore the sort of well defined sneer that Lucius Malfoy did; it was a means of keeping a distance from others and not necessarily to be taken seriously. Jade regarded him as he marched over to her.

"You sent patronising message" he said.

"Not actually, intended as patronising old boy" said Jade. "I admire principles and loyalty; loyalty to your fag and to your young brother are the true signs of breeding. It makes me wonder why you are in the same group as a creature like De Witt and acknowledging leadership of such an one as Nachtigall."

Kesselring shrugged.

"Nachtigall is an old family; De Witt also. One is loyal to the families. De Witt is an aberration but his family will endure."

"All very fine; unless his sick brain – and such desires as are his and the child Masciwicz' are sickness and imbalance – causes the wizards of his father's lands to overthrow him. As is not impossible. The Dutch do not take so easily to being bullied and browbeaten as the German people; they are more akin to the English in this fashion. As to loyalty to the old family of Nachtigall, why then are you a traitor to that line by supporting the upstart whose father used the foulest of means to gain ascendancy?"

"Heinrich has informed me that the claimant is false."

"So your leader lies to you? I know Katarina Nachtigall; as you do also since she came to this school before she transferred, and I know the whole true story, not the convenient shortcut. I have spoken to Friedolf Nachtigall; and I know that he has evidence to show that it was his brother Ritter who organised that he, his pregnant wife and their other daughter were to be bitten by a werewolf; Katarina left untouched to consolidate the claim as she was to be forced to marry her cousin Heinrich. I know that somehow they escaped and came to Prince Peak school to ask for the cure. Professor Snape has developed a cure for Lycanthropy; and if you do not believe me you can read of his findings in 'Transactions of the Learned Society of Potioneers' or check the English statute books that now state that a werewolf who does not seek a cure should consider themselves to be under surveillance unless they can prove good reason for not doing so. For Friedolf Nachtigall it is necessary only that he prove he is not a werewolf; as a revellaspell easily shows and a revellaspell also shows his precise bloodright. It is the time that things take to come to hearing only that hold up the law suit; I can show you an illusion of Katarina as I know her so you can tell me if you think she is a fraud; but to me the story rang true. Especially since meeting Heinrich Nachtigall who is, I suspect as like his father as one apple on a tree is to another. I stand by family Nachtigall; the TRUE heirs of the family Nachtigall. And as such I oppose the false claimant whose position was won by the cruellest way I have ever heard of circumventing an Unbreakable vow."

"What do you mean?"

"The father of the Nachtigall brothers had them swear an Unbreakable Vow on his deathbed not to seek to take each other's lives. Instead Ritter Nachtigall has STOLEN Friedolf Nachtigall's life by condemning him, his wife and their two younger daughters to be in the slavery of spirit that is lycanthropy; for the baby was born as a werewolf."

"I accept that you believe this; and I make no doubt that if there was an imposture the girl you know as Katarina would resemble her in every particular."

"Including the habit of sticking a pen behind her ear and consequently having ink stains on her neck?"

Kesselring was a little shaken by that.

"Habits too can be copied" he said uncertainly.

"But why would any bother unless they EXPECTED someone to talk to previous schoolfellows?" said Jade. "Herr Kesselring, I challenge you to talk to Nachtigall about his uncle Friedolf when he is off guard and less likely to conceal matters; I believe that you will find it instructive. Indeed in your shoes, I should cast the babbling curse on him and introduce the subject; for a true friend would forgive such an imposition in the light of proving his innocence. I would certainly do so if one of my friends wished to test me."

Kesselring looked thoughtful.

"I stand by my loyalties; but an honest man does not object to being tested in his veracity" he said; nodded his head curtly and withdrew.

Pompous stuffed robe, thought Jade; but it seemed an honest and honourable one misled by rather foolish ideas of loyalty.

She took herself to her room; there was something she urgently wanted.

Jade apparated almost right into her husband's arms which were spread to receive her as she sent thought of her intentions.

Their kiss was passionate and long; they had been separated for days and had no knowledge of how often they might see each other.

"My darling I had a thought" said Jade. "About how long I can stay."

"Alas! Never long enough" said Wulf. "Come to see Ralph; he has been fretful."

"Poor little pest" crooned Jade sweeping her poor little pest up into her arms "Bad mummy leaving him to be neglected by a doting big sister and daddy!"

Ralph cooed and gurgled his approval.

"He's adorable" sighed Jade "But I had this thought; Kinat accidentally apparated through time and it's kind of how a time turner works. If I set a clock up inside the bed curtains where I can see it I can apparate to a few minutes after I leave, even if I spend an hour or more here."

"You must not do that often" warned Wulf. "Being in two places at once too often is dangerous."

"I know; and yet Dumbledore considered it acceptable for Hermione Granger to do so to take her eleven Electives for her whole third year; a growing girl at so vulnerable time of life, twice a week. And I have the bloodgroup to draw on to strengthen me for it. I thought, once a week for two hours would be no harm; and I will come to sleep with you, just so we may sleep beside each other as often as I can."

"Oh my love!" he held her closely, the baby crowing happily between them. "But if someone calls on you…."

"My sister found this book in the Hogwarts library last year that she thinks Voldemort also read; it speaks of what seems to have been an early description of horcruces and also of egophonic magic; whereby one is alerted every time the name one sets up is used. It will also alert me if Nachtigall plots against me and so will have a double use. I have told Cacilia the truth; but she is sworn to think of me and name me as Nefrita so as to make no slip. With that once in place, if I am required I might then emerge from the toilet or something."

Wulf nodded.

"That sounds ideal….. should we then call you 'She-who-should-not-be-named'?"

"I hope not…. Makes me sound like that awful Umbridge woman! Now, why aren't you kissing me?"

Wulf knew better than to disobey his wife over matters like that!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The class rose for Hedda Schrempf in Jade's first Dark Arts class.

The courtesy did not seem to impress her; she sneered.

"Ah yes the customs of the so-polite English who are so polite they learn only DEFENCE against the Dark Arts because they fear that dabbling in the same might be rude."

"Not at all Fraulein Schrempf" said Jade "It is merely that the English, as a whole, prefer not to be an initial aggressor; but we English are always ready to finish any fight someone else starts."

"Ach, you milk-and-water looking thing, you have not the stomach to use the Dark Arts; to cast the cruciatus curse you have to mean it you know! You have not the will for this class; I do not wish to teach you" said Schrempf.

"Why then, if you are so ignorant as to suppose the crudities of the unforgivable curses to be the epitome and pinnacle of the Dark Arts, then I doubt there is anything so unsubtle and unskilled a person as yourself can teach me" said Jade.

Schrempf was spoiling for a fight; might as well have it now as later. And either she would have to kill this bitch or subdue her; or act cowed.

And if she acted cowed there would be no moving forward to steal werewolves.

And, predictably, the woman threw the cruciatus curse. Jade did not even bother to block it; she let the woman see it hit her, rose and walked forward, as Draco had done at that infamous duelling event: THEN blocked. She held out a finger and pointed at Schrempf.

The woman put up a shield charm; but Jade was not casting the cruciatus curse.

A cage appeared around Schrempf with glowing bars of purple force.

When asked later 'why purple' Jade had answered 'aesthetics' in a tone that made it plain that she thought it a stupid question.

Jade walked once around the cage and began a chant.

"Molahs mirevahc, molahs mirevahc, molahs, molahs

to-ar-tihel, to-ar-tihel molahs, molahs"

The cage dissipated; and Schrempf stood, arms slightly out, gazing in horror at nothing; and then she started screaming. Jade watched her, apparently impassively; nobody but she herself knew that she felt quite sickened doing this. But such a demonstration might yet fast track her into an organisation that would help her get to the higher echelon – and to the wolves.

She whistled a complex little tune and the woman collapsed in a heap, moaning.

"THAT is the Dark Arts" said Jade coldly "A curse which, if not cancelled, would leave you reliving your worst nightmare over and over and over until your heart gave out with the strain. I believe it takes between half an hour and two hours depending on the state of the health of the individual. So, Schrempf, can YOU do that?"

"N- no!" the woman was shocked, submissive.

"No WHAT?" said Jade implacable "I have mastered you easily; what then do you call me?"

"M-mistress" quavered Schrempf.

"Quite" said Jade coldly. "Kiss the hem of my robe."

Schrempf crept on her hands and knees to do so. Jade hid her revulsion. How could Voldemort have gloried in this? It was pathetic to reduce another to this level, even one such as Hedda Schrempf! Apparently she could have no urges as a megalomaniac; for neither did she enjoy this sort of thing, nor did she have any clue how to force home an advantage and use this to take any kind of control; nor, to be honest, any real desire. "You may continue to teach the inadequates in your own ineffectual way; I shall take my disciple Traudl and give her more comprehensive lessons than you are capable of doing" Jade added. Escaping from this class was the best thing to do; she really COULD teach Traudl more; even by teaching her defence against the Dark Arts.

Traudl followed her rather fearfully out of the room.

"Don't look at me like that PLEASE!" said Jade "I either had to do something to scare her witless or kill her; she was going to push and push until she had the excuse to throw the killing curse, I could see it in her eyes. I just got my retaliation in first."

"Am I supposed to call you mistress if you name me disciple?" said Traudl.

Jade laughed and said a short, scatological word.

"All that was so much window dressing my friend!" she said "For Schrempf, one is either one up; or one down. It is not enough to demonstrate either parity or to show superiority without demanding humiliating acknowledgement of that. I felt that this way was the only one to keep her from continually trying to pick on me to the point where one of us had to kill the other. She is a poor tool of her masters; she enjoys causing pain, like De Witt. Did you not see the arousal in her face as she cast the cruciatus curse? For her, and for him, the Dark Arts are about hurting people on a personal and physical level. They haven't got a clue how subtle, varied and insidious the Dark Arts can be. I HATE inefficiency!"

Traudl stared at her and laughed suddenly.

"You who are tender and gentle to the first year babes, relatively restrained in duels, now speaking of the Dark Arts as though the unforgivable curses were but minor throwaways and disliking Schrempf for not being better at employing them?"

Jade grinned.

"It does sound far fetched in a way; but if someone makes a commitment to do evil, it kind of seems rather wet to go at it inefficiently. What DOES she teach apart from the unforgivable curses?"

"Oh how to recognise and manipulate dark creatures, raising Dementors, creating inferii, making cursed items" said Traudl.

"Nursery twaddle!" said Jade in contempt. "You learn a patronus I presume to protect you from any Dementors you acquire?"

"We're supposed to learn that later this year."

"Right; I'll teach you that first. A corporeal patronus has heaps of uses besides dealing with dementors. I am NOT teaching you that chant by the way; that curse almost killed a friend of mine through a cursed item. I borrowed it."

"Suppose someone recalls it and uses it?"

"They won't get anywhere. A chant is more than just the words; it's the intent. Unless they know exactly what I was doing – I only gave the broadest of basics – they couldn't. Not unless they were clever enough to work out their own chant. The words don't always matter; so long as they are approximately appropriate and the symmetry of the Arithmancy is right and you speak them at the right speed and rhythm. If it were just a question of rattling off words, books of chants would have been published long since and people would use them with as little knowledge as they use incantations of simple spells. Some words have power of themselves; some words channel power. But more often than not the power is channelled by the feeling that the words are appropriate. Wait for my first chanting classes; then you'll see"

"All right. I say, can we get away with cutting class?"

"We will; she has bound herself to obey me. She has given tacit agreement that her superior does not attend her useless classes, nor the one I name. She is afraid, very afraid that the visions will come back. She will not sleep well for a very long while. I cannot say I feel a lot of remorse for that for I would not mind betting she uses the cruciatus curse freely even on the little ones."

"She does; and I shudder for my sister."

"I will forbid her to use it on her then; or, better, we shall teach the youngsters how to hold up a shield spell; and by increasing their stamina they will hold it longer than she can press home the spell."

"What do you intend by her?"

"Ah, now THAT is a good question" said Jade "I acted to stop a situation building, but I fear I have no idea what to do about the new situation. Well, what I plan to do NOW is get on with teaching you that patronus."

After drilling Traudl to the point that she managed to get something recognisably furry out of the pearlescent cloud from her wand, Jade pondered.

The likes of Schrempf were not exactly unusual in the ranks of Dark Wizards. The Carrows had been the same – only stupider – and many Deatheaters had enjoyed passing out pain. Jade did not count Bellatrix Black-Lestrange; Voldemort had done a job on her that had created her sado-masochistic urges. But that so many had sadistic urges seemed odd. And Voldemort had doubtless made them grovel because he despised them as much as she despised Schrempf; but why then had he not made more of his subtler lieutenants, Lucius and Dad and Yaxley, the master of the deeply implanted Imperious Curse?

Because, she answered herself, a dark wizard is driven by his ambitions as is any dictator; and so fears the ambitions of others and fears giving any concessions as signs of weakness. Yet Voldemort had liked having Dad around, his subtlest tool of all – as he had perceived him – because he was perceived as a near equal mind with whom to converse. And then later mum too, his just-ambitious-enough daughter; how well mum had portrayed that! The trouble was for herself, Jade thought, that she was trying to play two parts at once; the cold racist bitch who could take Schrempf apart and simultaneously to protect the little ones because to do anything else was unthinkable. Because here the acceptance that might maketh right, a breeding ground for dark wizards, took bullying into realms that were beyond what would even be believed at Hogwarts, beyond even what one might find in Victorian boys' school stories where Tom Brown was a tame story and Flashman a gentleman beside the likes of Nachtigall. And such raw misery in youth must, in all but the brightest and the best, sap imagination and leave the belief that raw power and the ability to work pain on others was all that counted.

But there were those of possible talent; largely due to Helmut Hesse who had been subtler, fortunately not subtle enough to influence further than he had, and fortunately not perhaps sufficiently appreciated in his subtleties by his superiors in ODESSA . HE had not been run by Von Frettchen, who seemed to have taken on Schrempf to keep her on a short leash. Jade grinned. She could get her pupils to dissect that chant from now until the end of time and not be able to duplicate its effects; Jade had picked it for its particular symmetry. To use a Jewish prayer for peace backwards against an effective Nazi seemed utterly appropriate to her at the time. It was a jolly good job Voldemort had never taken chanting particularly seriously. It was also a jolly good job he had never behaved fairly and with reciprocal loyalty to his closest and best lieutenants.

And it was scary to think that she probably knew a lot more than Voldemort about the more useful arts, dark and otherwise, and had a lot more power at her disposal.

Such things were not to be taken lightly.

And Jade explained to Traudl that the interest in the study of the Dark Arts was their very variability in their deepest and darkest forms; not to find extra and more exotic ways of causing harm but in the exploration of the darker side of the human psyche and to find an uncomfortable thrill in how much could actually appeal only too much when contemplating an enemy; and how there might be things that were sickening too to contemplate and yet horribly fascinating in the warped imagination that had made them, for the sheer ingenuity of those who wrought unfettered by conscience, moral sense or fear of consequences.

"We are part fey you and I" said Jade "And as such we have a touch of the odd fey moral code; which includes a whole load of wriggle out of the rules clauses in it. Or rather, wriggle AROUND the rules. The fey are capricious, mutable, fickle, wily, whimsical and have stern moral codes purely because it is the only way they can survive without destroying themselves. Even those who might be deemed dark creatures or who readily embrace darkness stick to those moral codes; because those laws are their continued existence. Any who abandon them are torn apart by their own kind to prevent humans turning on fey; or other groups of fey wiping out those who belong to a transgressor. They KNOW that rules of society are as necessary as air to breathe, water to drink and food to eat for their very capricious and mutable nature requires a society to sustain it, a society in which, in many cases, they hate each other cordially and work together only out of mutual need. But this is their nature; and the rules they abide by are as much their nature as their desire to work around them and ingenuity in so doing. The human who decides to tread the dark path has no such rules or safeguards, and unless he decides for himself – or herself – to impose rules on self and on followers, applying equally to all, he is doomed, ultimately, to failure. If the only rule is that of 'might makes right' he must always safeguard himself against a follower who thinks he can take him. This is the one main strength of ODESSA ; its rules and strict observance of the pecking order. It does not go far enough; for the rules pertain only to discipline. Even as Voldemort's only rule was that unthinking obedience to him was the only way. A good leader, whatever path he follows, listens to criticism from those whose opinion he trusts. A good leader gives loyalty before he can accept it; and he is careful of the welfare of even the least of his followers, for how else would he expect them to care for his welfare? And here is where the follower of the Dark Arts has a problem. Can you see it?"

Traudl shook her head.

"You make absolute sense" she said "And if you do plan to set yourself up as a dark lady and counter ODESSA , I have to say I'd rather follow someone who has protected my sister so well and who is prepared to share knowledge."

"Thank you; I do not share all knowledge however; yet. I do not think I plan to set myself up thus. I may call on you to follow me one day; and then I shall share more with you about my plans and myself than I am prepared to at this date. I will not ask that level of loyalty without honesty. Which leads to the problem for dark wizards. There is, you see, in a desire to lead that is so intense that it would use any and all methods to succeed – dark arts in other words – a selfishness, a megalomania, a drive of the ego. And selfishness has a problem in being able to GIVE loyalty; simply because the type who has such desires is so self-absorbed, so convinced that they are the right person for the job that they cannot, literally CANNOT conceive that anyone might disagree unless they are wilful fools. Those who deplore their methods they call weak, not realising that the shortcuts they often take are not necessarily the surest path. The dark arts offer a quick, seductive way to a goal; it is not always the BEST way. A man may be placed under the Imperious Curse and made to do all that is required of him; it is slower to win his friendship and willing compliance. But which ally would have most initiative and do the best?"

"The one willingly won…. I had never thought about it before. Nachtigall was beside himself about my defection; he could not believe I would be so stupid as to wish to leave his dubious protection and follow another."

"Lovely little would-be dictator in training….ready to be an officer in the ODESSA , and what a shock to him to have to take discipline from above; and can't we both see him handing out punishment randomly to inferiors who got in his way to take out his frustrations, punishing house elves because he can; which is so uncultured. One has a responsibility to one's elves; they are one's dependants."

Traudl stared.

"I had not thought of that, either" she said "My family has no elves; if we had, perhaps that is a lesson I would have learned earlier. But at school it is true for the school elves too, is it not?"

"It is" said Jade.

It was helpful that she perceived Jade as the paradigm of nobility and wanted to copy that and use the right manner to get on well in the world as well as starting to think for herself too. Traudl too was NOT fully human. And THAT would be a lever. She would win Traudl.

Jade went after tea to see Professor Rebet.

"I came to talk about chanting, sir" she said.

He looked pleased.

"You have not forgotten then?"

"No sir; but I have a proposal to make" she said.

"I do not put your grades up artificially for any favour" he said. Jade stared in amazement.

"No of course not; did I ever yet do anything to make you think I am a fool?"

He looked surprised.

"I suppose not" he said grudgingly. "What then is this proposal?"

His expression was forbidding; but Jade was used to that. Her father never went out of his way to look anything else in a situation in which he felt not entirely in control.

"It depends of course on you being a great enough man to get over pride" said Jade as though meditatively "Since there are others I have met who would like to learn chanting; if an evening class were run under your aegis there could be no objection, I think; and I would teach with your discipline available while you also learned."

He looked at her thoughtfully.

"You are a very dangerous young lady" he said "You know how to manipulate."

"You sir are one of a very small number capable of catching me out at it" said Jade and beamed at him.

It worked for the Belle Marauders.

He gave a reluctant bark of laughter.

"And who are these other would be students?"

"People like Rodica who was impressed with the way I was able to help her fag."

He looked sharply.

"The child with the heart defect?"

"Yes sir. It was rather out of the league of a normal medical transfiguration; needed a good hour's chanting to sort everything out."

"Is it possible that chanting could ease my lung problems?" he spoke sharply, trying not to let the yearning hope sound in his voice.

"I had wondered how to propose it without sounding cheeky, sir" said Jade with composure.

"Can you do it?"

"I don't see why not" said Jade calmly.

"Why has Snape never cured his own wounds?"

"I believe that a similar level of ritual saved his sight and feeling in his right hand sir; obviously I was not present, it was long before he took over at Prince Peak. He wears the scars as an awful warning that the rules about mucking in his stores are not there to inconvenience light fingered students. His daughter was authorised to spread the story last year when a girl decided to 'tidy up' for him: a tale of how some brat wanted alihotsy to make a rival look a fool; and she spilled powdered Chinese dragon heart blood. He put it out with his bare hands and saved the school; or so the story goes. Personally I do not doubt it. I can see it happening. Jade Snape is proud of him; I do admire him."

"Is it possible that his extraordinary openness to kobbolds stems from finding one who is a fine potioneer and he will not waste the talent?" demanded Rebet.

Jade regarded him.

"I concede that, knowing Professor Snape, there is a strong likelihood of truth in that" she said "The girl Senagra, Jade Snape's friend was I believe expected to get an 'O' grade."

"Then that is what it may be… Potioneers, top potioneers, are born not made. Rodica, Fraulein Nistor, does well enough she will have a creditable pass if she does not panic in the exam; but only Cacilia Von Freyer is GOOD. If she will join us also…."

"Cacilia had expressed an interest" said Jade.

He almost purred.

"When do you wish to chant over my lungs?" he asked.

"I shall need your date of birth and the date and time it happened to have a perfect result" said Jade "There is that of a nature of cursed wound status to such; whereas Wencelada's heart was fucked over by nature, please pardon my French."

"Your….. ah, an English expression for swearing. Do not do it again. I was born on the eighth of December…..nineteen fifty eight. The accident…. Ah that is etched in my memory, Valentine's day nineteen ninety. An illicit attempt by a fool girl to brew amortentia…. A girl who could not read my handwriting on the jars and guessed. She added Aconite by mistake for frozen Ashwinder eggs."

Jade winced.

"You're lucky to be alive sir….what a fool! Girls who fancy themselves in love can be the most destructive force in the universe; I think I'd rather deal with Dementors!"

"Ah, but have you ever seen dementors?" he sneered. Jade looked surprised.

"Of course, sir! ODESSA attacked Prince Peak during the Triwizard, you recall? Any of us who could produce corporeal patronuses were asked to volunteer and we got taught how to deal with them."

"Hmm, then you're not such a fool as you sound for saying that."

"I don't believe I'm a fool at all, sir. We can either wait over to February and use the anniversary or I can use a date that is not unlucky and do it tonight at two fourteen in the morning which has enough symmetry to satisfy my rather stringent requirements."

He gasped.

"So soon?"

"If that is a problem the next window would be some two weeks hence in the afternoon. See" she pushed her notes at him. He ran an eye over them; he was not an arithmancer of the calibre of Severus but he had studied it in relation to potioneering.

"That does seem in order" he said. "Though it seems improper…."

Jade grinned.

"I thought of doing it at the site of the crime, not coming to your room or anything" she said. It would mean she would not sleep with Wulf tonight probably; but it was the proper thing to do. "Would you like me to ask one of the others if they will chaperone me for your protection?"

He looked surprised again and gratified.

"Yes; yes please" he said.

Jade bobbed half a curtsey and took herself off.

Jade secured the good offices of Cacilia; and they both retired to bed early with an alarm charm to awaken them in good time. Both had done their homework for the day promptly and with despatch.

And at the appointed time they crept down to the dungeon.

"I feel like giggling like a middle schooler to be abroad illicitly" said Cacilia.

"It is rather fun in a way" said Jade. "Ah, the candles are lit; Professor Rebet is ready for us. Sir?"

"I am here" said he.

"Sir, I must be forward and use your first name for greater efficacy in the chant; I decided to use that of Finnish Name Magic to enhance the effect."

"If it works I don't care what you call me"

Jade giggled.

"I'd beware of that sir; some endearments I've heard used – which also constitute portions of full true names – can be a little embarrassing. Be glad you are not married to a woman who calls you 'bitsy pookums' for example."

"By Thor, you ARE a forward brat!" said Rebet.

"SIR! For NOT calling you Bitsy Pookums?" said Jade in mock hurt. She twinkled at him.

Pupils did NOT twinkle at him. Rebet found Nefrita Von Strang a most peculiar girl!

She was looking at her watch now, all levity gone from her face, counting down; and then she was facing him, chanting, a strange tongue issuing fluently from her lips, his name ringing out from within it – pronounced correctly as for HIS language, including the Ukrainian dialect of his home district he noted – and he felt a sharp tightness in his chest as though things were moving, changing. It was not painful; just THERE. And then the pain he was never free from was easing; so gradually he wondered if he imagined it at first. But it was more and more definite. And he could breathe in deeply without it catching on a wheeze, though she frowned and shook her head at him without pausing….perhaps it altered the conditions and made her chanting harder, like someone adding helpful and unnecessary stirs….

And then she was letting it die away with exquisite breath control; and her breath control was giving him breath control. And her voice disappeared on a sigh.

Jade grinned.

"Feel any better sir?"

"Yes, assuredly!" said Rebet breathing in gladly.

"It is like any muscle and can be hurt by overuse; and must be gently exercised" said Jade. "The very chanting classes will aid with that; you will all be learning how to breathe. Breathe correctly for a sustained chant that is. Without perfect breath control any chant over about ten minutes is painful; one that must needs last hours is impossible. This one has taken three quarters of an hour. It is three o'clock, and I am for my bed. Good night sir!"

"Good night. Thank you."

It went against the grain to be grateful to a pupil; but the relief! She was of exalted rank; there was little enough she could demand of him in return, and she had shown herself to be sensible enough not to want her grades changed.

Ihor Rebet slept the rest of that night deeply and comfortably for the first time in a very long time.

Jade did not.

She was just dropping off when she heard the name 'Nefrita Von Strang' in what sounded like Hedda Schrempf's voice, echoing hollowly in the back of her mind. She had set up the spell that evening and this was the first time she had heard it work. The tone suggested making a report, and Jade sighed and apparated directly to the marauding room in Hogwarts to look in the observing mirror.

"Hello Jade" said Cosmo's portrait. James's was dozing.

"Hello Cosmo" said Jade, heaving out the mirror.

Hedda was kneeling by the fire.

"I have never KNOWN anyone with such powers!" she said "She – she performed some dark ritual I do not know, with a chant….. I had the others write it out as best as they remembered it but I have been unable to find any reference to it…." She looked fearfully at the fire "I had to call her mistress; she made me kiss the hem of her robe."

"YOU Hedda? What ritual can make someone like you act so?"

"I was held suspended; the images! They were terrible! Everything I had ever in my life feared, even things I never knew before that I feared, all crowding into my mind! And more – I was LIVING in the fears, over and over; and when she cancelled it she said that it took between half an hour and two hours for the heart to fail and the victim to die…. She took the cruciatus curse, showed me she could FUNCTION whilst under it and only then blocked it; she is strong, Herzog Von Frettchen. Whatever it is the English do that make their children such formidable warriors has allied with her superior German heritance. If she could be persuaded to work for the greater good she would be the only one who could stand against the English; if not, she must be killed but I do not know how that might be achieved."

"She HAS rattled you Hedda" said Von Frettchen "Perhaps I had better come and meet her and make my own assessment."

"Yes; you had" said Hedda resentfully. "She calls my teaching ineffectual and all but the pupil she has taken as disciple inadequates."

"Your star pupil I suppose?"

"No; a pupil I should rather say was barely capable of passing the exam. She used to be one of Nachtigall's people; a little peripheral to his gang, but she has left him for Von Strang. I cannot see why she has taken that one, not a more able student."

"Hmmm" said Von Frettchen "Perhaps it is that she has picked one with a subtle mind and touch who scores but poorly under YOUR teaching methods; you can be rather crass at times Hedda. I never quite knew what it was that Hesse saw in you."

"I am strong" said Schrempf.

"But not, apparently, as strong as the Von Strang girl. Well I shall make a governor's visit and look her over for myself; not immediately, but soon. Try to avoid contact with her; it is not good if she can force you to bow down to her. How does she interact with Nachtigall? Are they allies?"

"Anything but; he is terrified of her. They duelled – that old fool Rebet officiated – in the Lodge and I have been unable to remove the word 'schweine' from his forehead. It is a curse too subtle and complex for me; and yet was thrown in the heat of a duel. He also still has a pig's tail. It appears that she defeated him and his six cohorts all at once alone but for some aid from a group of second years. Come soon; I fear her also."

Jade ginned to herself. That was the way she had intended it.

"I will. Now go get some rest" said Von Frettchen; and the interview was at an end.

Jade smiled at Cosmo.

"She doesn't like me" she said gaily and apparated back to bed.

She would need to draw on the blood group in the morning; but that was what they were for.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The pearlescent potion gave off lazy spirals of steam.

"Would anyone care to identify this potion and give me three reasons why brewing it is a damned foolish idea?" said Professor Rebet. His previously wheezing voice was now incisive. Bertel, Lazlo, Traudl and Rodica had been expecting a change; Cacilia and Jade had shared their late night foray with the more senior members of the ECC. Clovis Gierek looked startled. He was the odd one out in this class, the only one of Nachtigall's gang; the one who Jade recalled being told liked poisons.

Her hand was up.

Rebet smiled with the gentle malice that passed in him for pleasure.

"Very well Fraulein Von Strang; let us see how much you know."

"It is Amortentia, the strongest known infatuation potion there is. And that is one of the three reasons it is stupid to brew it; because so-called love potions are no such thing, they are merely infatuation potions. They make people act foolishly and uncharacteristically maybe ruining good friendships and relationships into the bargain; they leave the recipient embarrassed at their own foolishness once they wear off; and they bring false hope to the idiots that would brew them of influencing the object of their lust. Nobody who was truly in love would seek to influence the object of their affection in a like way. They have some limited use" added Jade.

"A full and well reasoned answer" said Rebet "And what are their USES? I confess I am unable to think of one."

Jade shrugged.

"Within the context of marriage, where hormonal difficulties such as are associated with birthing it would perhaps be beneficial for consensual stimulus to be employed; such that it should be seen as a medical potion for psychological problems rather than as a means to make a boy notice the potato-headed girl who would wish to get his attention. It's almost always girls who hand out this rubbish" she added.

"Hmm, yes, I concede the medical use" said Rebet. "It is a potion of a degree of difficulty such as you are required to brew; the only reason I teach it. Fraulein Von Strang, what would you suggest as a counter to Amortentia?"

"The Liberamore Major potion sir. The eye-opener potion works well on all other Love Potions but its actions are sluggish on the Amortentia victim and it is less easy to adjust according to Golapott's second law should the brew have aged and gained in intensity. Liberamore Major can be easily enhanced by distillation and its increase in strength is easy to regulate."

"Hmmm, well you know the theory well enough. Today we brew Liberamore Major to make sure you can make the antidote before I let you loose on the noxious toils of Amortentia. Tell me, Fraulein Von Strang, can you brew it from memory?"

"Yes sir" said Jade "I believe so."

"Then I shall leave you to do so; I suppose it is inevitable that Professor Snape and I have covered things in a different order. The rest of you will find the recipe on page fifty one."

Jade grinned.

"Professor Snape likes to get Amortentia and the attendant giggling out of the way quickly sir; he took over a girls' school remember."

"Ah yes; and I commiserate with him on that score" said Rebet.

Jade got on with brewing; and had decanted while most of the rest, even Cacilia, were struggling through the half way stages.

Rebet observed her with both approval and something of a malicious glint in the eye.

"Similar cutting and stirring styles to the Snape girl I see" he said.

Jade looked up indifferently.

"Oh almost inevitably I suppose" she said "Malfoys tend to be similar to the point of mannerism; and she IS a Malfoy. Also one tends to pick up, I suppose, the foibles of one's teacher; and our previous potions mistress is great aunt to Professor Snape. It was how he got involved I believe. Scholastically rather incestuous I suppose; I shall be interested to learn very different techniques and styles of working from you sir; it can only increase my own versatility to observe a wider variation of style."

He nodded.

It was quite reasonable; and she showed not a trace of concern or guilt. Not that he had really expected it; but it was amusing to push buttons and see if the clockwork sprang into action.

And then he noticed that Clovis Gierek was using a self stirring cauldron.

There was a tirade of Russian – which made Jade wince – and the boy was belaboured about the head and shoulders with a ladle.

"Ow! Sir, I don't understand you!" squealed Clovis.

"He said 'dolt, double dyed dolt, you who were born in a pit of asses dung from the misbegotten turds of asses and oxen who has no skill nor artistry and who knows no better than to maudle'– I think I got the translation right there it's a dialect word he used – 'your potion with an abomination fit only for the stinking pits of stinking kobbolds without education or artistry who had the misfortune to be born in St Petersberg where only the maggots have a good time.' Then he lapsed into Ukrainian and I only got the gist which was less complimentary. He doesn't like your self stirring cauldron."

"I do not" growled Rebet. "I ban them; and I ban them for good reason. They make the lazy person of the potioneer. They do not always even give mediocre results, let alone optimal! If you use such again Herr Gierek I shall poison you!"

"Yes Herr Rebet; I apologise" said Gierek, chastened.

After the break they had a class in study of Magical Beasts; a sparse class, including only Cacilia and the Swiss boy Seppi. Evidently it was the concept of having to handle large, dangerous beasts that put people off rather that it being entirely Hagrid's fault at Hogwarts; one would have to see how things went with the exam split in two, care of domestic and care of wild beasts; and see how David did at Prince Peak when more people had actually studied as far as OWL in the subject.

"We shall go today to observe some Graphorn. How would you deal with graphorn, Fraulein Von Strang? He asked.

Jade pulled a face.

"A well executed veronica with a cloak to draw the creature to smash its head on a convenient rock might still be the best tactic of all" she suggested.

Señor Carcano beamed.

"And I thought most English knew but little….ah that English boy! What verve! What élan! I kiss my hands to him!"

"They are resistant to magic as well as having tough hides, aren't they?" said Cacilia.

"Indeed yes, Fraulein Von Freyer; even trolls have trouble with them. Collecting their horns is very difficult. We tramp a way into the forest; and stay downwind of the ones I have been observing."

It was a pleasant autumnal day though the bite in the air certainly heralded winter to come. Carcano led them sure-footedly up a valley track and onto a small ledge not large enough to qualify as alpine meadow where they might overlook a canyon to where there were a small herd of graphorn grazing. Carcano handed round omnioculars much like those on sale at quidditch matches; and Jade found that the overlaid commentary was set to recall facts about graphorns. It was a jolly good idea and one she intended to suggest to David.

"This is brilliant, sir" she said "With the replay facility even fast moving beasts can be studied in detail; how long are the replay actions retained?"

"Until wiped" said Professor Carcano throwing out his chest. "It is I who have come up with the idea of using useless toys for proper research. I who have the seriousness on my subject to wish to have my students view beasts and learn their habits in relative safety. You must choose what to record to replay because of the limit of the time that can be recorded."

"It's brilliant" said Jade again "You should perhaps write to Lucius Malfoy and offer to lecture on the new Wizarding Wireless Vision with replays taken from omnioculars to show the world; for such an idea you deserve fame."

This was evidently a new idea to Carcano; but one he liked.

"Fame? Well I should be remembered for thinking of this; I will do as you suggest and write to Lucius Malfoy. He is your relative, no?"

"My grandsire; but he prefers not to be reminded of it too often" said Jade "If you mention my name I'd just say his er, connection. We have a civil rather than a friendly relationship."

"Ah, yes, I comprehend perfectly!" said Carcano. "See the female, she is ready to mate; I thought we might be in luck. If we wait long enough we may see a mating ritual. Now you know why I told you to wrap up warm; I have had elves prepare us a packed lunch which they will bring presently, and much hot coffee."

"Now that's an ace way to run a study of magical beasts lesson" approved Jade.

Carcano might even actually be a better teacher than David in this subject; he had all the enthusiasm of Hagrid with a goodly dollop of common sense and a sense of his students' comforts too.

She'd drop some hints to David; he was always happy to learn more!

The mating ritual was frightening; the sound of the crashing horns as males fought over the receptive female could be heard clearly clear across the canyon in the dry clear mountain air; and Jade winced. In common with most horned beasts however it was not meant to be a duel to the death; as soon as one male started to get hurt it raised its head before another pass could take place, pointing its formidable horns backward and exposing the throat.

The victor stamped and pawed the ground noisily to drive the point home then approached the female and began a series of intricate springs into the air, much like the pronking of springboks but on the spot; some of the jumps, as she started to show interest, with turns in them.

"Wow, love that three-sixty!" murmured Jade.

So did the female; after a few more callisthenics she turned her back and presented.

After that, one ruminant consummating sexual passion is much like another and Jade went back to the replays of the gymnastics.

"Sir, that's not in any books I've ever seen" said Jade "Is this your own discovery or is it commonly known on the continent?"

"I believe it is my own discovery" said Carcano "I took replays last year; and kept them. But this was an even finer display."

"Sir you MUST show this on Wizarding Wireless Vision" Cacilia agreed with Jade "For this sort of study you would be justly famous!"

Carcano was delighted.

"Well, with your co-operation my children, to record a few more such incidents with animals I shall be ready to show a goodly series of demonstrations on this new medium; it has come at just the right time!"

It had indeed; and Jade was glad. For this work – and he spoke too of journeys he had made in the holidays to study other creatures and record their behaviour – he deserved every recognition.

She was also very glad of the food and smiled a 'danke' to the house elves for coming out here with it; as did Cacilia. As the elves belonged to the students they would not feel so great an urge to punish themselves if it was their own students who thanked them.

"Sir, why not send one of our Omnioculars to Grandfather with a covering note?" she said "An elf would take it."

It would be one elf freed from the compulsion.

If regular correspondence took place, Lucius would hint to any elf that a different one come each time.

"What an excellent idea!" said Carcano "Elf, would you be prepared to carry something to England for me?"

"I am at your orders, Master!" squeaked the elf.

Carcano went up again in Jade's estimation that he asked. He was a bit self opinionated and arrogant in manner – somewhat justly actually – but he knew what was due to underlings.

"Good; come to my study half an hour after school ends to take a package and a message" said Carcano. The elf bowed low.

They showed HIM real respect, Jade noticed. There was a gratitude in their humility towards those who were fair and reasonable; they had it too towards Cacilia and warily towards herself.

Given time she would find errands for most of them.

Jade opened up communications to any of the bloodgroup who were interested, saying,

"I just watched the world's craziest blue movie"

It got several people's attention.

David was, as she had expected, fascinated; and ready to demand, beg or tickle Lucius into submission over getting this televised; and also to arrange an international conference of naturalists including such as Hagrid, Charlie Weasley, and Newt Scamander as well as the various teachers of the subject. Whilst David agreed wholeheartedly that Orlando Carcano should have credit for using Omnioculars in this fashion, everyone had their own field of expertise and others could contribute what David described as footage. Being recorded magically of course it would transmit directly; without the considerable technical difficulties of transferring film to globe and so bypassed a lot of expensive work. And the omniocular could be adapted to record more and be the basis for the Wizarding Wireless Vision camera rather than the slightly distorting vision globes Lucius was using at the moment.

"I'll go to see Lucius" said David "He IS a friend of mine after all; I'll suggest to him that if he likes the idea of adapting omnioculars, as well as having to pay through the nose to use their patent he should drop a few shares the way of Carcano in gratitude."

"Only fair" said Jade.

It would open up the educational side of Wizarding Wireless Vision no end too; so far Lucius was filming Severus for potioneering classes and McGonagall for transfiguration and Flitwick for charms; as well as Sirius and Assim for Geomancy and Comparative Magic. It was basic; but it was a start.

The afternoon brought herbology; Wednesdays were very full. There were six other members of the class, Cacilia, Traudl, Bertel and Rodica of her own set, Clovis from the viewpoint of a potioneer and the girl Xia Xuang who was sufficient unto herself, rarely addressed a remark to anyone and did not even have a fag. Frau Kunigunde Kluba, a Polish woman, was tall, spare, brisk and Jade somehow pictured her in tweeds. Her words were well articulated but her speech was quite clipped in sound as though she were hurrying them. Cacilia had intimated that under cover of academic exercises she was not above having the students harvest profitable ingredients to her own enrichment.

This lesson was by way of revision, Madam Kluba told them brightly, handing out goggles and gloves and leading them to a greenhouse full of gnarled stumps.

Jade pulled a face. She disliked Snargaluffs intensely; and as they were so far her only experience of NEWT level Herbology she had hoped for something else.

Still there would be more to do in the year.

She got down to the task in hand, tying together the thorny tentacles that lashed out and extracting the obscene squirming green pods that formed in the knots, and expertly juicing them with a sharp knife, squeezing out the wriggling slimy tubers that were of use to the potioneer in the Draught of Invigoration as well as in various antidotes to love potions. It was all in the preparation.

"Excuse me, Frau Kluba, how do the plants produce seed pods when there are no students to knot them together?" she asked.

"A good question; the first time I think I have ever been asked that" said Frau Kluba, pleased "The thrashing branches are there to catch unwary animals and, having done so wrap around them to draw them in to digest. As the limbs tighten on the dwindling body of the prey the same effect occurs as knotting them and a pod forms. The plant retains the pod until some other animal approaches – they smell very attractive to herbivores – and ejects the pod, which will then engulf the prey, which in its panic and subsequent death throes runs far enough away from the parent to give new snargaluff room to grow. The tubers wriggle into the body and digest it from within before it has a chance to rot, feeding them and starting them in life."

"That's fairly repulsive; but thank you ma'am" said Jade turning faintly green at the cavalier way she and Lionel had lobbed snargaluff pods at the fey in the Triwizard maze. "Can they then kill something large?"

"Oh, not usually" said Madam Kluba "If a wizard – or even a goblin – was to find himself engulfed he could probably with some effort force the thing off before suffocating. A small child would be at risk but a grown adult, probably not. And even if a tuber wriggled into the mouth and was swallowed, the living stomach acids of a human would provide sufficient competition to make no worse problem than some indigestion, maybe a stomach ulcer if a powerful stomach settler is not taken. It likes prey of up to about four stone in weight; no more."

"Thank you" said Jade. "How do we sustain the level of energy required to throw out vines and produce fruiting bodies?"

"The kitchen saves all its blood from the food and also meat scraps" said Madam Kluba "As the sustenance from its prey is absorbed via the vines, I stand at a safe distance and spray re-liquidised dried blood on it, and feed it with flesh and bone meal fertiliser. I also feed it rats."

"There is then no truth in the rumour that you feed it first years who have mucked about in your class, Ma'am?" teased Bertel. She was in a good mood from sensible questions; a little levity was, he knew from experience, permitted. She boxed his ears lightly.

"You are a bad boy Herr Elstrup" she said.

Jade had learned a lot about Snargaluff; she had never bothered to ask Ellie what the two stumps at Prince Peak were fed on; since it was probably dead werewolf and Stuurmzauberern. Waste not want not, after all.

Homework was ten inches on flesh eating plants; Jade did not look forward to it but would work manfully.

Frau Bacsó wished to see Jade that evening.

"How are you settling in, Fraulein Von Strang?" she asked.

"Very well, thank you Madam Bacsó" said Jade, who had greeted the head with a curtsey. Madam Bacsó approved.

"I believe you have formed your own coterie of friends already" said Bacsó. "And have left some other people less than friendly."

Jade shrugged.

"I have assessed the way things are apparently done and attempted to follow custom accordingly" she said. "As to putting Madam Schrempf right about my abilities with the Dark Arts I suspect that she was not your first choice as teacher and that you resent her being wished onto you anyway."

Bacsó started.

"I have received no report from Madam Schrempf concerning the first lesson you have had with her" she said "In what way have you 'put her right'?"

Jade smiled brightly.

"She wanted to punish me for being English using the cruciatus curse; so I made her crawl on the floor and kiss my robe. She is inefficient, unsubtle and ODESSA has, in my opinion blundered – once again – in placing such as her in a position of recruitment. The only ones SHE will attract are those of her own kind; sadists and thugs. ODESSA has put a stinging hex through its own foot. It must be very galling for you having to accept inadequates from an organisation that is so ridiculously inefficient that it is risible in even a small school like Prince Peak where jokes are made even amongst the very young about what silly games the Prince of Pusillanimity will play next. When you have the opportunity to mould young lives and have at your disposal all those who have passed through your hands – as Dumbledore and Snape do – to have to pass them up for the ambitions of a failed organisation that has only a few alleged ideals in common must be galling in the extreme."

"You are insolent to make assumptions about me!" said Bacsó in horror.

"Oh, I am sorry; it is a matter of common discussion amongst the older ones at Prince Peak, pray forgive me" said Jade.

"Common discussion?" Bacsó was even more horrified. "I – I will not judge you them as insolent; pray tell me what else is said."

"Well ma'am, it is generally reckoned that if Durmstrang is seen to be too closely allied to ODESSA , when ODESSA finally falls Durmstrang will fall with it. The girls talk about whether Snape will expand the school on the Horn or whether he will put in a bid for Durmstrang and reopen it. The boys complain that his policy is to let ODESSA fall on its own and will not let them push. They sent a hundred dementors and two hundred troops to Prince Peak during the Triwizard; and at least as many I believe to Hogwarts. The assumptions made by Madam Schrempf as we heard later she made over the communications globe were that this was sufficient. We all fought dementors and destroyed them; and as for the storm wizards, Snape had called in a favour from an old pupil and had borrowed a couple of dragons and a dragon handler."

"DESTROYED dementors? That's impossible!"

"Well we all suffered mass hallucination then; it's not hard if you can keep yourself together. You make them laugh themselves to pieces; literally. They explode" said Jade. It would get out sooner or later; and it was fairly common knowledge in England. Give her information that would become worthless as an act of good will.

"Donner und Blitzen! Laugh to pieces! Yes I can see that it would….. and how many storm wizards were defeated? Enough to make the rest feel it not possible to take the castle, obviously…"

"Madam Snape was of the opinion as many as a dozen may have got away" said Jade. "We were told that the policy was total annihilation; so that none should even report. It was a command decision on Snape's part to spread terror in the Prince's camp and to start the possibility of mass desertion of his troops when it was seen that those who went on missions never returned. He is quite ruthless; as is Dumbledore I believe. He says, and I have to say with considerable truth, that ODESSA started the game and if they did not like the rules they should not play."

"Ruthless! Yes, utterly! How Schrempf has underestimated him for his quiet manner! And Dumbledore with his jocular one! Yes, assuredly I must distance myself…. They have blundered too often, and now finally I find out the extent of the blunder. A hundred dementors and two hundred wizards… why they must be down to a bare few!"

"Snape says they will use Slavic troops next who have no knowledge of the losses of their German counterparts" said Jade. "I overheard him discussing it when he returned. He and his son had used some ritual to travel virtually to where Gerhardt was and thrashed him with a switch; presumably one formed out of pure energy. The level of transfigurational ritual that Snape is capable of transcends the comprehension of most of us I think. And I consider myself not entirely a novice in ritual since I have watched, learned and assimilated much of what has occurred during battles so that my knowledge of chanting is more advanced than my OWL in it suggests."

"Thank you; I believe I must think hard about what to do next" said Bacsó. "And you, who can force Schrempf to kneel; what do YOU plan to do? Do you wish to force ME to kneel?"

Jade grinned.

"Oh Madam Bacsó! Such charades are only for the childish – which you are assuredly not! You are a survivor and a wise woman and I would never dream of being so contumelious! I was wondering if you wished to use me to infiltrate this ODESSA and find out how much of a risk to your school it is; and how far it has penetrated the ministry in order that they might also cause you trouble. And then you would have an opportunity to be the heroine that overthrew it and brought in a New Order as Dumbledore and Harry Potter did in England" she added.

Bacsó regarded her thoughtfully.

"You're not Harry Potter" she said.

"No; he had the Blood Bond from his mother and had inborn luck. I'd have to rely on being good. But Harry Potter was a reluctant hero; I rather think it might be fun – and the results well worth it. I'm not bound by one of Mr Potter's handicaps; I'm not naïve. And nor" she added "Am I unduly modest. Will you have me do it, Frau Bacsó? If you will, I fancy you may have to be prepared to make some concessions to those blasted kobbolds in order to get support from Dumbledore and Snape; which we could do with I confess: and to get their numbers on your side. It need NOT go so far as England has gone of course; I cannot see goblins ever attending Durmstrang!" she laughed gaily "Why the very keep would fall down in horror!"

"Quite" said Madam Bacsó "This is going a little fast. Leave me, Nefrita my dear; I wish to think hard and consider your suggestions deeply and objectively, without being swayed by your enthusiastic rhetoric."

Jade curtseyed deeply.

"At your command, Madam Bacsó" she said.

That had not been planned either; she had meant to poison Bacsó against ODESSA – if their manifold blunders had not already done so, which seemingly they had – and pave the way towards talking to Dumbledore or dad.

Suggesting to Madam Bacsó that she be in the same position as Dumbledore after the Second Wizarding War had been very tempting for the woman; who was sufficiently like Lucius to be able to second guess quite easily. As a Hungarian she was taken less seriously by the German Ministry even though its sphere of influence covered the combined German and Austro-Hungarian regions, despite local Ministries being in nominal control. And she would not want an Anschluss any more than those of Prince Peak did if the German Ministry felt that it was losing power as Gerhardt lost HIS grip. Jade might privately refer to Madam Bacsó as 'the Hungarian Horntail' but she had a lot of brains in her cool, hard, calculating head.

And it was well worth subverting them.

Technically Jade had Thursday free to do her preparation; which being self disciplined she had almost completed, and so decided to go along with Traudl and Bertel to their Ancient Runes class and ask if she might sit in.

"Why?" demanded Frau Agalisse Schreiber.

"Because I was studying the subject before I came here and as I have completed all preparation I should like to keep up my studies."

"Why did you give it up?"

"Because Madam Bacsó did not have faith in my ability to complete all the studies I had started and required me to give up one; I chose one that I could continue to study with library work" said Jade.

"Why, how many were you studying?" demanded Frau Schreiber.

"Seven; it is difficult for me being bored without enough studies to stretch me"

"Then you may sit in and do the preparation but if your other grades fall and if you drop below an 'A' grade in my class I will require you to leave."

Jade looked outraged.

"I have dropped once to an 'E' grade but I have never been grades so poorly in any of my studies!" she said.

"And what grades have you and how many ZB's?"

"I have eleven OWLs at 'O'" said Jade; Nefrita had been given much the same subjects as she studied; save that for verisimilitude she had not been given muggle studies. "I was able to study some on my own time with correspondence tutorials with appropriate Hogwarts professors."

"Very well; take your place. Have you examined the text book?"

"Yes ma'am" said Jade; who had read it all through whilst waiting at the lodge. "I am already quite fluent in Finnish; I learned it for fun a couple of years back. The relationship to Hungarian is fascinating; and I have also drawn some astonishing parallels with the construction of Japanese, so I find the conclusions in the text fascinating. I have never before studied ancient Persian nor the Indo-Aryan languages."

"Well you seem to be knowledgeable and keen. Very well, class, we shall begin our studies this year with the writings of Ctesias and from their reference we shall work on the translation of the only texts of the Bactrian and Assyrian cultures, the copies of a letter from a wizard of Zoroaster's time to a colleague under the empire of Ninus. The script is fascinating in its primitive forms and the suggestions to be found of how later scripts may have developed from it. We must bear in mind that this is four thousand years old; and the text is exciting in that it appears to be covering the discovery of something akin to the Fire Protection Potion, which appears so similar it enabled scholars to decipher the majority through using the identity of the ingredients. There is also a tantalising glimpse of trouble one of the writers is having with Ashwinders in his cauldron fire. As we are now even in numbers you may work in pairs to make your own translation with the glossaries given in the text book."

Jade nodded to Traudl and Bertel to work together; Antonina Kotina would prefer to work with someone else high born and would make less fuss if she was partnering Nefrita Von Strang. Franziska Schiff and Thom Bilkvam were Nachtigallites anyhow; and deserved each other.

They got well under way; and Jade raised a hand.

"Fraulein Von Strang? Needing help already?" asked Frau Schreiber.

"Oh! No, ma'am; I wondered how far we were permitted to extrapolate in the passages marked in brackets as unclear" said Jade.

"Show your reasoning and extrapolate all you like" said the Professor.

"How will you do that?" asked Antonina.

"Well, I know this potions backwards and I also know that it is able to be extended by the addition of peppermint and frozen ashwinder eggs; if the passage here that he did [something] about [snakes in the fire] it could be that he encouraged them for the eggs and got a little more than he bargained for leading to [and they came so thick and fast I had trouble containing them] which means this term here, which has the suggestion of an egg with a snake squiggle on it refers to Ashwinder eggs; and this one here then almost has to be peppermint or at least some specie of the mint family."

"I see; that looks plain when you translate it so" said Antonina "Which being so this passage here with the same ashwinder egg word is about collecting them perhaps?"

Jade had a look.

"Seems logical" she said "And he is putting them [somewhere] and if you ask me that's going to be either a jar of ice or an ice house; more likely a jar of ice for the speed at which he has to work."

Frau Schreiber came over excited, though controlling it.

"Fraulein Von Strang I believe that you have a correct translation of a passage that has been troubling scholars for centuries; you study potions to the Higher Level?"

"Yes ma'am I do; but this extension is not in any text books, it is one of the improvements Professor Snape himself made, that he teaches. Which means that unless a previous translator had himself made that improvement and did not publish it, then it seems unlikely that the passage could be clear. I should reference the correct issue of 'Transactions of the learned society of Potioneers'; I THINK it was one of the summer issues nineteen ninety eight."

"I will see if I can find the reference; this must be written up for publication, Fraulein Von Strang" said the Professor "I will endorse your findings. Dear me, how very exciting to have a NEW translation take place in my class!"

"It should perhaps be published as a class discovery?" suggested Jade.

"Certainly not Fraulein Von Strang; the discovery was yours. Fraulein Kotina added to it; but without your knowledge she could not have done so. This is excellent!"

The woman was genuinely glad that something new had come out of her class; and ready to assign credit where it was due. Many of the teachers here seemed very good, very professional. It was the traditional assignation of the Dark Arts teacher to be some kind of gestapo agent or – or – here Jade resorted to Russian to find the only word that fitted – zampolit that caused the problems. That and runaway privileges for those of high social rank and institutionalised bullying in the fagging system. It could be fixed without having to change all the staff.

And THAT was good.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Friday brought Arithmancy, Jade's allies in this class Lazlo and Voldodya; the second of whom was usually there in spirit as well as in body for Arithmancy Lazlo laughingly said. Clovis Gierek was the only enemy; the other two were neutrals, Antonina and Seppi.

Frau Magdalene Meyer was a precise, neat woman who had eyes like gimlets and a classroom manner like an interrogation officer. Jade likened her to Hermione Granger with a period and toothache.

As Jade was exceptionally good at Arithmancy she hardly had to even bother to think for the lesson; it came easily. Especially as this was second time round. She had to learn some slight variations in notation in the German fashion; but that was easy enough.

And she had completed their homework assignment whilst Frau Meyer was still giving it out.

Jade spent Friday afternoon undertaking the stiff translation the class had been set for Ancient Runes and rewrote her potions essay since she had come up with a better way of explaining the evils of Amortentia and its ilk. Jade was like that sometimes.

They had designated Friday evening as chanting class, and it was to be held in the potions dungeon and attendance quite voluntary.

Jade was quite stunned to find almost the entire of the ECC had turned up.

Rebet looked horrified.

Jade banged on the front desk.

They rose.

"Ah….please be seated" said Jade "This is an informal class; unless Professor Rebet would like us to rise for him, I think we should designate it a time of mutual equal respect, do you agree sir?" she glanced at him.

He shrugged.

"Why not? I respect your skills but I refuse to rise for a stripling. Are you planning on teaching all this lot?"

"If they want to learn; some may find it too hard to keep up with the demands and drop out; no shame in that" said Jade "If you only pick up the basics it will stand you in good stead to take it up again in later life. I'm going to briefly lecture about the nature of chanting; then we're going to go through a series of pointless-seeming voice exercises which will, I assure you, mean that your later performance is superior; and I am going to teach you to breathe. Breath is important. A breath in the wrong place can mean the difference between you curing a cursed wound or making your patient's toenails drop off. Now, of all the magical arts chanting is most akin to potioneering; where the effect is built up little by little. But it is then delivered all in one go. Consider paintings; you can add the colour in one big blob or you can build up layer upon layer with each layer subtly changed by what is beneath it. You have to have some idea how each of those layers will ultimately affect the top colour which is subtle, varied and perfect. Thus is a chant as compared to a charm or even, in many cases, an enchantment. Many enchantments lie between chants and charms; in requiring the subtlety of the minor chanting that one does to tie them in. Those of you who study enchantments will find some parallels at least in the preliminary classes; those of you who study Ancient Runes will soon start to understand how much more powerful your subject suddenly became. A chant may strip away a curse layer by layer with a delicacy of touch that does not set off any subsequent traps within it, or it may change a man utterly, irrevocably into something else by the very ritual changing of his true name. Mostly it is used to heal such ills as are too delicate in nature to use a direct transfiguration upon, where medical magics of a conventional type are too brute force, where the operation is such that by comparison to the subtle, slow, inexorably gentle nature of the chant, using a wand and transfiguration is like removing a hangnail by hitting your finger with a hammer. Layer by layer a problem is dealt with; and even so, layer by layer an effect may be laid down, that can then only be stripped away in like manner. A curse laid by chant requires a chanter who is more competent than the original to unravel it; a sort of chanting Golapott's third law to those of you doing ZH level Potions. This may be simulated by a TEAM of ritual chanters; for in a ritual chant the effect may be massively increased. Especially if a basic chant is set up and held by the majority whilst one or more who have more virtuosity add counterpoint and er, twiddley bits. A technical term for twiddley bits" she added, and waited for the chuckles to die away.

"Harmonic variations" said Volodya.

"Y…yes; and no" said Jade "Sometimes its verbal variations. Sometimes it is merely in the refinement of the rhythm. With the skilled and instinctive chanter they will not be able to tell you what it is; but they will feel the situation they are dealing with and know what to do from moment to moment. This is especially true of curses; some curses fight back. I'd be interested to try destroying a horcrux by chanting…. No O my best beloveds, if you don't know what a horcrux is I'm not about to tell you; you're all too sweet and innocent. I bet even Schrempf doesn't know" she added. "Anyway, what we'll concentrate on first is the sort of level of chant you could do by other means; just because you can't brew Felix Felicis if you've never practised techniques on swelling solution. And now the bit you don't want to do because it is going to hurt; breathing. Stand. You can't do the exercises seated."

She worked them hard teaching them to breathe from their diaphragm; and all were aching when she called a halt.

"Well done; and your homework is to practice that for three minutes every day" she said "I won't punish you if you don't; but your body will next time."

"Please Fraulein Von Strang" said Xanthippe "Will you show us something startling by chanting?"

Jade grinned.

"That is almost an invitation to cause mayhem to you my innocent babe….very well. Lazlo, bring me that chalice; everyone get out your silver knives and slit a finger or palm and let a few drops drip into the chalice. Then you know what it is; and I shall undertake a transfiguration of some considerable complexity."

The majority were prepared to do so; a few refused, giggling in embarrassment as much as with tension.

Jade began a low, sing-song chant. Her breath control was exquisite; and apparent. The chant became song; and only Traudl and Bertel had any idea what language it was in as Jade had resorted to Finnish.

She finished on a high, pure note, above the register of any of the untrained voices there save some of the younger boys; and she held it longer than they could have believed possible, and yet it ended cleanly and did not peter out.

"Breath control; vital" said Jade "I sing or use flute because it works for me. Professor Snape, who is a light baritone when he's in the mood and claims he can't hold a tune in a cauldron when he isn't, prefers to chant. His chanting voice is harsh. This does not matter. The medium is less important than the pattern. Professor Rebet, would you care to use the Revellaspell on the substance in the chalice?"

Rebet came forward, did a bit of a double take as he glanced in and whipped his wand out quickly.

"It – it is UNICORN blood" he said, awed.

"The rest of you may file past and observe" said Jade "Some of the only legally obtained unicorn blood in the world; and then I recommend that Professor Rebet decant it and lock it up safely. Sir, you should write out a document which we will all sign as to the origin of this."

Rebet nodded.

"Yes; yes I could be convicted otherwise for even owning it!" he said "I will paste the document on the bottle I use. It is extraordinary! I should have said it was impossible had I not seen it….extraordinary!"

"Startling enough for you, young Eulenspeigel?" asked Jade.

Xanthippe nodded fervently.

"Oh yes! Thank you!" she said.

They would meet weekly; and if some had wavered for the pain the first lesson had cost them the staggering effects of what a mistress of the art could do cured most of those waverers!

"Nefrita von Strang thinks she's so wonderful; she ought to be brought down a peg or two" the voice sounded hollowly in the 'other hearing' place of Jade's head opened by the egophonic spell. The voice was that of Claudette Reynoult.

Jade, in the library, checked cautiously to see if anyone was overlooking her and slid into feyspace to look for Claudette. She was researching for the term project Professor Rebet had set the Potions class, to produce a potion of their choice from original research and Jade had, rather ambitiously, decided to see if she could re-create Circe's potion that turned men into swine. She was also reading Amaracus Marjoram, whose book 'Herbology for Potioneers' was a standard but who had written a small pamphlet also called 'the search for Moly – as used by Odysseus' since Hermes was supposed to have given the hero a herb called Moly that protected him from being turned into a swine.

Jade had scrawled in her notes 'and if you ask me one need search no further than mandrake'. She resented leaving her researches; and dropped an absent revulsion charm on her place to avoid having anyone tamper with her work.

Claudette was not hard to find, she and her ally of choice Calvina Leckkessel were in the grounds taking advantage of a fine day and the ability to be away from places others could lurk so they might plot in peace. They were not alive to the concept of lurking in feyspace.

Calvina was moaning that Nefrita was too dangerous an enemy to tackle.

"NOT if we fit her up with a teacher" said Claudette. "It's easy; we go to the potions room and knock something over, and leave her handkerchief there; my brother knows her fags, if he volunteers to help them carry something for her he can do that easily."

Calvina brightened.

"THAT sounds feasible" she said "So shall we do it tonight?"

"No; the girls in her dorm will vouch for her" said Claudette "We'll do it when swotty Nefrita is alone in the library. She's booked in to look at books in the restricted section this afternoon."

"How do you know?"

"Because she told her first form brats that she'd take them for a walk when she was done and my brother overheard. She's not going on any walk; because we trash the dungeon then tell Professor Rebet we heard a noise in there. Guiscard's getting a hanky for me right now."

Jade smiled grimly.

That required an alibi; and the alibi would be best for being Professor Rebet himself.

She ate her lunch unconcerned, vaguely registering the mention of her name by Guiscard Reynoult even as she vaguely registered her fags chattering about their chores for her. Which were. It has to be said, quite minimal; they were more likely to get homework help and advice than to have to run errands from Jade who was more than capable of shifting for herself.

Then she went to the staffroom and asked to speak to professor Rebet.

If the dour potions professor could be said to have any favourite – or perhaps one he mistrusted less than the others – it was Jade, or rather Nefrita Von Strang.

"Sir" said Jade "It's not totally relevant to the researches for my term project but it is connected and I wondered if I could discuss it with you."

"That depends what the 'it' might be that we're discussing" said Rebet.

"Odysseus" said Jade "And Circe; you recall that in legend he ate a herb that prevented him from being turned into a swine by the witch's potion?"

"Yes; I've always thought it dubious" said Rebet "That there should be a single herb with so profound an effect unprepared."

"What if it were not a herb but a draught made from a herb and the legend lost a sentence or two or Homer took a shortcut and it was mandragora potion?" said Jade "If it were taken within two hours of being given the other potion, would it not therefore still be acting as a counteractant?"

"Well now, I'm not sure of that… what sources were you using?"

"I had several lined up in the restricted section to examine this afternoon but I wanted to ask you if you thought I was barking up the wrong tree first…. Can I possibly prevail on you to come and have a quick look with me? It's not relevant to the homework, I just thought it was interesting…."

"Yes, quite; following up any interesting fact is always good" approved Rebet, who could no more have resisted checking out a new concept in potioneering than could Severus.

Many of the learned treatises on Circe proclaimed didactically that there was no such thing as a potion involved, that she had obviously used transfigurational skills and the so-called herb was merely a sop to Odysseus who was protected with some kind of shield charm by the wizard he believed to be a god.

"Which to my mind is so much monkey-dung" said Jade "Since she was famed for her knowledge of poisonous herbs and potions. I'm researching a reproduction of her potion to prove it for the homework assignment; but we know full well that Mandragora restores anything to its true form even people petrified by a basilisk; and Snape made a version that forces werewolves and animagi to change too. So why not take an antidote first as a prophylactic?"

"That does indeed hold sense; an antidote taken within a short period before a poison or potion will act to counteract it. It is such a shame that we must rely on the writings of muggles for this period! Literacy among even the Magical community seems to have declined at this point; there are a few passages in Linear B…wait, there are some copies of some indeterminate passages in Linear B that refer to Circe; I don't read it very well, I studied Ancient Runes but…." He went into the back of the library, ferreting around on the dusty shelves of the less well used texts for ancient runes.

"It's not required study….. do you read it?"

"Approximately" said Jade "Not tremendously well; I shall have to brush up. Thank you sir! I did not know those texts existed. I only hope it's not a letter to Circe's laundress" she added ruefully.

He laughed.

"I believe it is a letter from Circe herself or an attendant writing on her behalf to a wizard at Knossos" he said.

"Then the first thing to do is to make a copy of these texts for my own reference and then to go mug up on Linear B" said Jade.

"Well, well, let me know how you get on" said Rebet. "I'll leave you to it."

He had just got back to the staff room in time for two excited girls to tell him they had just come from the potions dungeon where they had heard a crash of broken glass and felt that they should report this immediately.

Rebet sighed that his peaceful afternoon was no longer such and led the way to the dungeon at the run.

They had knocked over crystallised violet leaves preserved in syrup for cough medicines; and the mess was incredible.

Rebet swore in Ukrainian – fortunately, as neither girl spoke it – and promised revenge on whoever had done this.

"Look, there's a handkerchief; whose can that be?" said Claudette, picking it up. The monogram NVS was clear enough. She gave a simulated gasp of surprise. "Why it's Nefrita Von Strang's!" she said.

Rebet examined it.

"Well I wonder how that got here" he said.

"Sir, I don't like to bear tales" said Calvina "But the Von Strang girl boasts rather and thinks a lot of herself; do you suppose she might have been assuming that rules don't apply to her and came in here without permission to do something for herself?"

Rebet regarded her thoughtfully.

"Somehow I don't see Fraulein on Strang being quite so careless as that; nor so irresponsible as to not clear up. Besides I believe you said that you came to me straight after you heard this crash?"

"Yes professor" said Claudette.

"Well then, Fraulein Von Strang is cleared utterly; since she could scarcely have got from the library to the potions dungeon in time to make a crash that had you two intercepting me at the staff room" he said.

"Sir, she may have declared her intent to work in the library but suppose she lied?" tried Calvina.

Rebet's eyes glittered nastily.

"And are you supposing also that that I lie for having been with her in the library helping her find an obscure reference?" he said.

Claudette went pale.

"Oh!" she said "Then – then it appears she may have lost her handkerchief at another time!"

"Or through another agency than loss" said Rebet, clapping his hands. An elf appeared.

"Master?" it squeaked.

"Find out which elf handed laundry back to fags for Fraulein Von Strang and find out which fag it was" said Rebet.

"You think one of her fags was stealing potion ingredients for her sir?" Claudette brightened. Surely the elves could not tell one fag from another?

The elf returned quickly and bowed.

"The laundry was supposed to be collected by Herr Langbessen but it was instead taken by Herr Reynoult" he squeaked.

Rebet regarded the little creature.

"Then pray go to Herr Reynoult and require him to attend upon me here" he said.

The elf clicked its fingers again and disapparated away.

Shortly thereafter Guiscard Reynoult slunk into the dungeon looking terrified.

"For whom do you fag?" demanded Rebet.

"For my sister er, and I do some jobs for Fraulein Von Strang" he added hurriedly.

"Liar" said Rebet. "Tell me the truth of the history of the errant handkerchief and I shall not have you expelled. You have more to lose than your sister."

Guiscard crumbled; and he told all. He was by no means so fond of his sister that he would risk being expelled for her; and truth to tell was a rather weak character into the bargain.

Rebet smiled a soft, unpleasant smile.

"Very well, Herr Reynoult; you may go" he said. "Now, Frauleins….."

The lower sixth girls, being unable to furnish Professor Rebet with a satisfactory explanation for their desire to get another girl into trouble with him found themselves in rather deeper trouble themselves. Spite and its manifestations were nothing new in Durmstrang, and being, as Professor Rebet said, as adolescent a manifestation as spots and boils they might help juice bubotubers to make the acne curing cream.

They had pustulent hands for a considerable period since Professor Rebet was not content to let them off with one session of detention.

And the next time Jade heard her false name mentioned forcefully it was by Herwald Langbessen and she caught enough of the words to realise that he was firmly explaining to the two girls that if they blamed Nefrita Von Strang for their getting caught, they, her fags, would jolly well give them something to suffer over. The next brief burst was Herwald saying that Nefrita Von Strang had taught them the shield charm against people who cast forbidden curses so there.

Already the ECC was working excellently; the kids felt they could work together against any bully; and had the loyalty to put themselves out for her, bless them! And the morning drills of the shield charm had been well worth it.

Jade however moseyed out to find Claudette.

The fags had just gone their merry way.

"My spies tell me" said Jade pleasantly "That you tried to cast the cruciatus curse on one of my fags for some reason."

"Yes, what of it?" said Claudette "The brat was insolent. He blocked it anyhow which shouldn't be allowed in a child that age."

"Well you see I don't think that casting it at a child that age should be allowed" said Jade. "So, I want to let you see something."

She made a pass in front of Claudette's face.

The girl took a step back with a scream of horror.

"NO! Take it away!" she squealed.

Jade waved a hand and Claudette glared at her, white faced.

"Now you know what you will see every time you cast the cruciatus curse" said Jade. "I've tied it in to your consciousness that when you cast the cruciatus curse, and for as long as you hold it, that will be your companion."

"I don't believe you!" said Claudette in horror "It's impossible!"

Jade laughed.

"Keep believing that if you wish you simpleton. Nothing is impossible; if you know how to do it. I AM the quidsats haddarach second reserve. But you'll find out."

It was like implanting a compulsion; implanting the memory of the illusion triggered by the word 'crucio'. Jade thought it tremendously simple; and by far and away the easiest way of stopping people using the cruciatus curse. She must do it again, she reflected. On the likes of De Witt and Nachtigall; which should at least keep them from being too much trouble to other people, for neither was imaginative enough to come up with a way around it.

It was a full week round before Agata Bacsó invited Nefrita Von Strang to Kaffee und Kuchen after school; and Jade went happily. Madam Bacsó was scarcely likely to make a small intimate coffee party with her if she planned on rejecting Jade's suggestions outright.

Bacsó did not beat about the bush.

"I have thought on your proposals and find them good" she said, looking Jade in the face and utterly unaware that the third greatest legilimens in the world was checking her every motive and verifying her words. She went on, "What plans had you for ODESSA , my dear?"

"I rather thought, Agata – as we are colleagues I hope you don't mind the liberty? – that we should play it a little by ear while we find out what we can" said Jade. She had leaned over to touch Madam Bacsó earnestly on the arm to enhance a feeling of intimacy. Doubtless stories of her capabilities were filtering back to the woman by now; and she was one who had the sense to realise that she would rather be on the side of such an asset not against her. She went on, "Gerhardt is in rather a nasty position; he has had so many defeats that he dare not risk another. Yet he dare not either risk doing absolutely nothing and looking pusillanimous. I suspect he will consolidate his hold in the Slavic countries; I overheard Snape's people saying he had used as tools a group called the Vory. I researched this; and found it to be a muggle organised crime group. I think he will use them as Gellert Grindelwald used the muggle Nazis in the nineteen thirties and forties. Muggle history is often very revealing; there are points at which one pauses and checks and finds that there were ambitious and powerful wizards involved in pulling strings; never so successfully, I grant, as with ODESSA 's usurping of the muggle organisation of the same name; but the evidence is there. And often caused some problems to our world also for the pains of such interfering types. That however is by-the-by; other than that it will cause some headaches in the Russian sphere of influence. My researches turned up something that I think will pass by the ordered and essentially German brain of Gerhardt – that the Vory are not a monolithic organisation bent on the same goal or owing loyalty to any one leader. They are vicious, violent and jealous, each regional family – they have families which can grow by adoption like the similar but less homicidal Mafia of Italy – having its own goals, and though they may work together and have an overall interfamilial code they are as likely to slit each other's throats over rivalry as to work together. Gerhardt will not, I think, be able to comprehend of them NOT working together if he has ordered them to; he does not understand the hot blood of the Russian who lives on emotion and cares not about what is 'in ordnung' and what is not. You as a Hungarian, and I as English, are able to stand aside from both ways and observe objectively; and we complement each other because your blood is hotter than mine and so between us we should reach total comprehension of these players. I believe also he will wish to consolidate his position in the German Ministry; who are, it seems, in as great a state of denial as the English ministry were over Voldemort's return. The sports Minister said, as I recall, 'ODESSA is a figment of the imagination'. Whether he has learned to believe that or whether he spouted the line that he was supposed to I cannot guess. They will only sit up and take notice therefore if Gerhardt can be pushed into doing something drastic and public and declaring himself; and to do that he will need to feel both powerful and yet in need of making a move to convince his people. If I can get close to him, this is what I hope to push him into doing; to commit and to commit publicly enough so that he cannot draw back. I am a wolf animagus; he is known to use werewolves. But werewolves in wolf form are tricky to handle. NOT however if following a wolf animagus; it is known that animagi of any type can influence werewolves; witness the case of Professor Snape's school chum who was joined and protected by his closest friends in animal form. And how much more powerful would a wolf animagus be? If I can get command of the werewolves and hint at an out and out attack on the ministry using them, he can then expect to have the resources of Germany behind him, not merely of his well-wishers. And I suspect he has lost many of those, through spending them against the English schools and by those who have been appalled at his inefficiency and have withdrawn support. As I fancy you have; for how can one support a megalomaniac with delusions of adequacy and achievements of disaster?"

"Quite so" said Agata Bacsó "My dear Nefrita it is a workable plan; simple and yet flexible. The only drawback is that you would have to cultivate Hedda Schrempf."

"I have every expectation that Fraulein Schrecklickeit has already whined to her controller and we shall doubtless receive a visit from your so excellent school governor Herzog Von Frettchen" said Jade, unable to resist calling Schrempf 'Miss Totally Destroyed'. "The Prince's spymaster is an efficient enough man by all accounts; were he in charge not Gerhardt it would be a very different matter. It may be worth attempting to subvert him; it may be better to merely kill him. For now he is useful to me; and I shall be cultivating his nephew in the fourth who I believe is the man's heir also. We shall see how I proceed with the Duke as to whether or not I feel a need to help him to immortality" she smiled brightly.

Agata Bacsó shuddered. This was a terrible girl! She had all the ability of the English allied with a cold-blooded ruthlessness that was admirable, and yet frightening! The more so because there was none of the enjoyment that Schrempf displayed in the pain, discomfort or death of others. She would kill Von Frettchen if he were in her way with no more emotion or compunction than if he were a rat!

Jade saw the play of emotions and was pleased at the way she had portrayed herself.

As it happened, if Von Frettchen was a threat she would indeed kill him, without hesitation; for the safety of her parents and siblings and the other children. But not without compunction.

"You spoke of having to make concessions to goblins; what did you mean? How far do you propose we go?" asked Bacsó.

Jade shrugged.

"It seems to me that having the support of the goblins would be valuable" she said "And the way to do that is to make sure they see US as those who have given them more than they have ever dreamed possible. I suspect that many goblins live in poverty; those of us with independent wealth can purchase factories and pay them well, gaining a good reputation. It worked for Lucius after all; even if he DOES do it out of conviction not expediency. That gives us a group who would, if need be, fight for us; and die for us. Hearts and minds. Then when we get to the point that we can dictate policy we come into line with Switzerland and France; that goblins who can prove qualifications may carry a wand. It's a gesture. A few may manage to scrape together enough to pay to go to Prince Peak or Beauxbatons but it will only be the few. And THEY will be the intellectuals; who will feel superior to the others; and on whose superiority we may work. It will come about that there will be an effective aristocracy amongst goblins; and the educated ones will keep the rest in their place. We shall not have to."

"Brilliant" said Bacsó in admiration.

Jade heaved a silent sigh of relief. Talking that specious argument as fast as possible was always the weak point. Once the first concessions were in place at least, further ones could be subsequently introduced.

"Where is the greatest concentration of Goblins in Germany, do you know Agata?" she asked.

"Munich I should think" said Agata Bacsó. "Where Anett Breuer comes from; she was taking an interest in goblins, I thought it unwholesome; though as Von Frettchen has an interest in her…. I do not know what she thinks, that one, or intends. She is teaching this year, of all places, at your old school; I believe Von Frettchen urged her to spy for him."

Jade laughed.

"I don't know what he expects her to find; save what we all already know, that Snape is one tough cookie and trains all of us up to be good. He welcomes werewolves; and cures them with his injected serum, that he developed for his friend. It's why he has the Nachtigall family; who may be implying that Freidolf Nachtigall was falsely accused of being a werewolf, but anyone who's in the know at all – which in a small school is anyone who cares to take an interest – is aware he used to be a werewolf together with his wife and younger children and ….got cured." Saying he used to be a werewolf but was all right NOOOOW did not work in German and Jade eschewed the flippancy. "And if we seem to be coming into line with the English way, we can ask for aid – like anti-lycanthropy serum. If I can gain control of the werewolves and cure them, not only does it neutralise the threat of them as werewolves, we also have some very grateful people. It is, after all, an affliction; not a race. And that should NOT be subject to discrimination. Werewolves are to be pitied. And killed if they won't accept pity" she added thoughtfully. "For those who embrace the abomination willingly are plainly insane and should be put down like mad dogs."

It was quite fun playing utterly ruthless; and fun to make Bacsó squirm.

Things were going very well indeed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Has anyone given you trouble mein Vöglein that you are late to us?" asked Jade sharply of Elfleda as she ran in to the study some time behind the older fags who were on duty.

"Yes, Fraulein Von Strang but not another pupil; we were all stupid in class in Arithmancy and we all had to return to repeat the lesson even the ones of us that had studied it properly the first time" said Elfleda. "Frau Professor Meyer was displeased and said we should all suffer that those of us who knew what we were doing should then be angry enough to beat it into the stupid ones."

"I fear she is not so clever, for she will only make those of you who are any good resent her subject and her person as much as you do the stupid ones" said Jade with a sigh of exasperation. "Do they understand now?"

"I doubt it" said Elfleda "the Frau Professor does not explain so well as you; Sofie was one of those confused."

"And the others?"

"Kyril Payutinin, Anisoara Fieraru, and Hengst Ritter" said Elfleda.

"Young Payutinin fags for that lower sixth girl, Pompilia Constantinescu; she's Romanian, does the Romanian child, Fieraru, look to her as well?" asked Jade. "She is the one who tripped Sofie, yes?"

Elfleda nodded.

"Yes she does now fag for Fraulein Constantinescu" she said.

"For whom does Ritter fag?" asked Jade.

"Hilde Mundnimbus; she's in the fifth. He picked out a fairly high born witch to avoid being picked on; she is too a German as he is."

"Hmm. I don't know her. Wait a moment; let me write to her and to Constantinescu; deliver the letters then fetch Sofie."

Elfleda hovered, standing on one foot and adjusting the constant wobble as Jade wrote.

What she wrote to Pompilia was,

"I dislike my fags being kept as collective punishment for the unfortunate failure of a few to follow their lessons; send your fags to me and I will see them caught up so neither of us may be inconvenienced again."

She wrote a similar letter to Hilde of the fifth and wrote their names on the outside; and Elfleda ran off.

Pompilia turned up with the two fags in tow.

"Why should I loan you my fags, Von Strang?" she asked.

"Loan? I wouldn't have them as a gift – at least, not Fieraru; I know nothing against Payutinin" said Jade. "But if they can be brought up to speed MY fags won't be inconvenienced. I'm a better teacher than Frau Professor Meyer who is very clever but cannot cope with little ones. I expect right now they hate Arithmancy; as does Herr Ritter who has just arrived behind them; but they will hate it more if they have not the tools to get it right in their NEXT class; and collectively punished again. If you wish to sit in and see I do not bully them you may; ah, Sofie, good you are here too. Fraulein Fieraru, I will for the peace of your class forget that I dislike you on a personal level. Please all be seated and we shall study through out loud this piece of Arithmancy that so troubles you. What is the problem, Sofie?"

"Please we have been introduced to Numerology and learned the Pythagorean values of the letters but now we are studying something called the Chaldean method, which only goes up to eight, and we have talked of other things called bases" said Sofie "And I think we are all somewhat confused."

"Ah, I see" said Jade "And the explanation rattled by a little fast and left you the more confused?"

"Yes Fraulein" it was Hengst Ritter who answered "And it isn't fair because we want to do it; because the English witch said Arithmancy is the basis of all higher magic."

"Oh Jade Snape is quite correct" said Jade "This we have had dinned into us in Prince Peak where much emphasis is placed on the subtler arts. How many fingers am I holding up?"

"All ten" said Kyril Payutinen "Is it a trick question?"

"Only sort of" said Jade "We count the way we do because we have ten – well, digits. Actually we have eight fingers and two thumbs; the eight fingers giving the concept for the Chaldean count. But suppose you were spiders – with eight legs." She turned her hand into the semblance of a spider and wriggled her legs. The children giggled a little nervously. "You would count one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, one lot of legs and one, one lot of legs and two and so on. Let me write that up" she used her wand to write in mid air. "So you see, one lot of legs – one lot of eight- and two is written one, two; that we see as twelve; but eight plus two is?"

"Ten" said Sofie. "Oh, so where the ten is depends how many fingers you're counting on?"

"Kinda sorta" said Jade "NOT ten though; if you think of one, zero in base eight as ten, you'll be sunk mein Blümchen because it ain't any such animal; one lot of eight plus zero is eight. So if I write it with the notation thus, and I write one, zero, with a little seven by its toes, what is than?"

"Oh, it's seven!" said Anisoara Fieraru.

"Good girl; quite right" said Jade. "In Arithmancy we generally use base two, seven, eight and nine; and some people use base thirteen where ten is represented by A, eleven by B, and twelve by C. These are more magical number bases; and in fact the Chaldean system is arguably base nine because it goes up to EIGHT not to seven with a zero. A lot of people debate that but you don't have to worry about that at your level unless Frau Meyer is in a good enough mood to sidetrack into a debate…. Not that I ought to give repellent first year brats ideas about sidetracking their teachers."

They giggled.

"The book does not put it so clearly" said Hengst resentfully.

"Well a lot of people who write text books are a bit dry and dusty and have forgotten what it's like to be eleven, even if they weren't so swotty that they didn't manage to be eleven even when they were" said Jade. "what is your homework?"

"We are to work out some numbers into other bases" said Kyril "And if we have time we are to reduce them to a single figure."

"Do you think you can manage that now?" asked Jade.

"I think so" he said.

"If you wish to come to me when you are doing your homework if you are uncertain of anything I will see you" said Jade "Yes, you too, Anisoara" she added, noticing the girl wondering. "Providing you do not try to cause any trouble to any of my fags or any other children who want my help. Are you all happier? Good, you may scoot then; and best of luck! Don't forget when you reduce in another base that it must add up only to that base's number; adding six and seven in base eight is not thirteen but one eight and five; that then reduces to six. Unless Madam Meyer has specified otherwise? No? Bear in mind that sometimes it is well to note reductions in both common notation and in basal form. It won't do you any harm to write down both. Sofie, you may do your prep here and if you struggle, I'll see where the others might be likely to do so also."

"THANK you Fraulein Von Strang!" said Sofie and managed to put out her tongue covertly at Anisoara. Jade pretended she had not noticed.

She could hardly really refuse to show that little girl how to do her lesson just because she disliked her for scalding Sofie; the Romanian child had lost out on being more doted upon than overworked.

"Thank you Pompilia; Mr Ritter, thank Fraulein Mundnimbus for me" said Jade.

"The children are grateful for your indulgence" said Pompilia stiffly "And I, that they will not be unnecessarily delayed in future."

Herzog Eduard Von Frettchen regarded Madam Bacsó thoughtfully.

"So, Agata, tell me about how the English girl is settling in" he said.

Madam Bacsó shrugged.

"She has been here a little over a week. She seems to be settling in well; one might say, though, that it is early days. Why, are you then interested in the English so much that you concern yourself over a schoolgirl?"

"A schoolgirl who, it is said, is remarkably able" said Von Frettchen.

"It is galling that the English seem capable of producing results beyond what we are used to; even though I am proud to claim that academic achievement at this school has risen since I took over from the late and unlamented Karkaroff" said Madam Bacsó.

"Oh, nobody is disrespecting you efforts, Agata" said Von Frettchen quickly "I suppose I am intrigued as are you that such levels of competence come out of those TWO English schools; it is not solely in the English experience or training, nor in the English nature; for the boys from that other school, Hellibore's Academy, they were on a par with Beauxbatons only. It is Dumbledore – and his disciples. Snape was trained by him; some say Snape is his natural son; or else an adoptive son."

"Some said, as I recall" said Bacsó acidly "That Dumbledore had lost all his power and was helpless and that to threaten him would bring this supposed son of his running. The same concept led to the loss of the most able Dark Arts teacher I have ever known; Helmut Hesse was told to set up the trap to bring Snape down running and when that failed he was told to kill Dumbledore. His principles in ODESSA FAILED to find out and warn him that not only was Dumbledore in no way impaired in faculty but was capable of what I understand to be about the most tricky transfiguration that could ever be undertaken in returning him utterly, mind and all, to infancy. And we have too seen Dumbledore smile gently and take twelve killing curses in that DISGRACEFUL display at the Triwizard. ODESSA appears to have lost the plot; is that why you want to talk to the English girl? You hope she may bring a touch of efficiency to your organisation?"

Von Frettchen frowned.

"The orders to Hesse were not from me; but from one who had little imagination" he said. "You seem to take it for granted that I represent ODESSA ."

"I thought THAT was obvious" said Bacsó. "Besides, I have asked Nefrita what she knows of ODESSA : apparently the plans of the Prince are discussed as common knowledge in the Austrian school; Snape does not trouble to hide what he does to oppose the Prince. Your name has been mentioned there. So much for being incognito."

"Preposterous!" he was outraged "What has she said?"

Bacsó shrugged.

"Not a lot. Only that she finds it extraordinary that a man of your undoubted ability should utilise a tool like Hedda Schrempf" she said. It was not quite what the girl Nefrita had said; but she had hinted at turning Von Frettchen, and for that he must be flattered; and the girl HAD implied that he was able, more able then the Prince. Agata Bacsó toyed with the idea of suggesting to Von Frettchen that he replace the Prince rather than sticking to Nefrita's idea of bringing down ODESSA ; but ODESSA had been made a laughing stock at worst and was discredited at best. Better to tear down the whole tottering structure and begin again.

"Send for her; I will speak to her" said Von Frettchen.

"The midday break will come soon; a shame that she should be dragged out of lessons drawing further attention to you, is it not?" said Bacsó silkily. "Her Monday afternoons are for free study; I suggest you contain yourself until after the midday meal, Herzog Von Fretchen."

"Yes; yes, you are right. Better not to draw too much attention to myself. I shall, if you will accompany me, do an inspection tour of the school as Governor; and I should like to see her in class if I may."

Jade was in Transfigurations arguing Gamp's exceptions with Professor Nagy.

She was pointing out that though you could not summon food per se, there was nothing wrong with summoning a couple of rabbits and wringing their necks that would then make rabbit stew; and getting technical about how to expend extra energy to make the summoning permanent so the food would have actual nutritional value and would not vanish together with its calories after a while.

The conversation was heavily arithmantic.

"It would be nice if our teacher took some notice of those doing ZH's and not the weirdo English who want to argue obscure and unimportant theory because they can't handle the real lessons" said Nachtigall loudly.

Attila Nagy rounded on him.

"It would be nice if the ignorant little boy managed to understand enough theory to be aware how relevant some of Fraulein Von Strang's points are!" he said furiously. "Somehow I despair of convincing you that matter and energy are thaumoturgically identical!"

"It's a difficult concept for limited minds to grasp" murmured Jade. "Especially those with no creative urges; any idiot can reduce matter to ashes with the conjuration of bluebell flames and doubtless plenty of them do. Channelling the energy into a coalescent form is a little harder; and the difficulty lies in the conjuration of enough energy since the coalescence requires more energy than you might realise, since one has to realise that, say, a rabbit is the sum total of all its years' growth using energy in the calories it consumes that are made into flesh; in effect a rabbit is made of sunlight."

"Run that past me a bit slower, Nefrita" said Volodya, who was actually trying to follow Jade's arguments instead of disappearing off into a world of his own once he lost the plot.

"Item; sunlight powers the growth of grass, since vegetable matter is fed by sunlight with some additional feed from soil and airborne nutrients" said Jade "And the rabbit is powered by eating grass; when a rabbit is born it drinks milk like any mammal but the milk is made because the mother eats grass; and when it is old enough it too eats grass and grows and duly makes more little rabbits. So a rabbit is made of sunlight. A LOT of sunlight."

"Ah, an excellent if almost simplistic way of looking at it!" said Professor Nagy "But essentially a good way to explain why to produce a living creature you must expend a lot of energy! Headmistress – Herzog!" he had just noticed the visitors.

Jade and her satellites sprang to their feet; Nachtigall and his followers unwillingly followed.

"Be seated" said Madam Bacsó "A lively debate, Herr Nagy."

"Yes; the understanding of Fraulein Von Strang is advanced but some of her arguments are close to specious" he said.

Jade grinned.

"Gamp is such a didactic fellow he makes me want to argue with him" she said. "The exceptions are sound enough but the wording is rather woolly and I feel we should think more deeply about the meaning rather than about the actual terminology. The fourth exception to his law 'potions' for example; it is possible to summon the most basic of potions, those that do not require more than the most basic of processing, such as Glumbumble juice, rattle snake poison or a herbal tea. Only those that require a significant input of magic are impossible to summon, so no Felix Felicis; and that really is no different from the third exception 'enchanted items'. Professor Nagy has explained very clearly that Gamp was simplifying things for the purposes of presenting a limited understanding of his true meaning to those of a standard level of knowledge about transfiguration; and properly reproved me for trying to discuss post ZH level transfiguation."

Attila Nagy, who did not recall putting it quite like that blinked and silently applauded Fraulein Von Strang's neat understanding of what he had really meant in the shouting match they had been having. A very clever and intuitive girl that!

"Well, I am glad that your students are so advanced" said Von Frettchen.

"A few of them" said Professor Nagy gloomily "Some are imbeciles; but while the ODESSA demands four ZH's three of which are specified as Dark Arts, Transfiguration and Charms for its officers then I shall be saddled by imbeciles with delusional visions of flashy uniforms who should have perhaps stuck to three ZH's in studies they can comprehend."

Bacsó hid a smile; Nagy could not have made a better comment to rattle Von Frettchen if he had been primed.

Jade hid a smile too.

It had not taken much to find one of the sources for Nagy's resentment of Nachtigall and gently ease the thought to the fore.

Nachtigall flushed and did not hide his displeasure.

"Herzog Von Fretchen, this English girl is disruptive" he said "She shows off and must ever be the centre of attention in every class!"

"Nefrita Von Strang is so far ahead of most of us she cannot HELP looking well in every class" said Cacilia quietly.

"Herr Nachtigall, I think you might do better if you applied yourself to your work rather than to worrying about the exploits of others" said Madam Bacsó coldly. "You are not so good a student that you can afford to busy yourself with the affairs of others."

Nachtigall scowled. He was furious; furious about all of Nefrita Von Strang's doings; she had stolen one of his followers outright and the latest thing she had done was to alienate another! Ritter Kesselring had had the impudence to cast the babbling curse on him and ask about his stupid Uncle Friedolf and his rotten family and that ungrateful bitch Katarina who should have been GLAD to marry him!

Naturally he had got De Witt to help him punish Kesselring; but his loyalty was now in doubt!

Ritter Kesselring approached Jade at lunch. He looked pale and ill.

"I was mistaken to doubt your word" he said abruptly. "Nachtigall spoke quite clearly about the unbreakable vow his father shared with his uncle and how his father got around it; and of his fury that Snape managed to free them of the curse of lycanthropy. When he recovered from his babblings he and De Witt cast the cruciatus curse on me until I passed out. I fear I have given my loyalty unwisely; I should never have stood by a boy who gloated over such abominations as clever manoeuvring. I should prefer to serve your interests; but I refuse to kiss your robe."

Jade grinned.

"I should prefer you NOT to kiss my robe" she said "That Schrempf female just irritated me."

"How do you just TAKE the cruciatus curse?" he was disbelieving.

"That one is my secret" said Jade crisply "But I WILL teach you how to shield against it and how to increase your stamina to shield for longer than most people can hold it. You can join my class with Traudl tomorrow. And if you like, you can bring your fag to the early morning run too; which is how you build up stamina. Here" she passed her wand over him, healing the neural damage of the cruciatus curse, drawing too on the blood group to give him healing energy. She could do it with a chant, but this was quicker, even if it was cheating a little bit.

He gasped.

"Why I feel like new!" he said.

Jade shrugged.

"You must be fit to run" she said "And moreover where I come from, loyalty is supposed to be a two way street. If I were you I should express your willingness to break from Nachtigall to Bertel Elstrupp, Lazlo Ijas and Volodya Potishev and ask if you can move in to their dormitory. They have a spare bed. I will see you and small Grishilde Stengel at five thirty tomorrow morning; try to be on time."

"A two way street? You are right. And it is true that we have to be loyal TO Heinrich; we receive precious little loyalty in return."

"And on that subject I will pass the word that little Grishilde is to be looked out for by the others of the second so that Nachtigall does not use his usual tricks of getting at you through your fag" said Jade "Which piece of nastiness SHOULD have told any man of honour that the one he served had sunk so low that he shamed his name."

Kesselring flushed.

"It should" he said "It – I gave him loyalty at first; I could not break away until he had broken faith with me."

"Perhaps you should, as a gentleman, have spoken to him about those things you liked not earlier; but I understand. It is hard to break from something and question it when you are afraid of the answers. Loyalty is an admirable trait and he does not deserve a man like you to have given him such" said Jade.

After lunch she was intercepted by Von Frettchen.

Jade was not surprised; but made sure Nefrita Von Strang looked it.

"Fraulein Baronin Von Strang; how are you enjoying school here?" asked Von Frettchen.

"Well enough, thank you Herzog" she said "It is interesting to study lessons presented with a different slant."

"Yet I believe you were disrespectful to Frau Professor Schrempf?" he asked.

Jade gave him the sort of snaky and inscrutable look that Lilith affected.

"Respect has to be earned" she said "One gives respect for the abilities of one's professors; but when it becomes apparent that such ability is lacking, one loses respect. The Schrempf is incapable, inept, inutile and infantile, and worst of all inefficient. I have forgotten more about the Dark Arts than she is capable of comprehending. She has no subtlety; I doubt she could even SPELL subtle let alone such words as insidious, mutable and implacable. One could almost suspect her of being a plant – unwittingly – of a saboteur within ODESSA , were one not painfully aware that its upper echelons are riddled with moronic inadequates whose greatest skills are licking their prince's arse to command."

"Painfully? You then support the ideals of ODESSA ? Is that why you came to Durmstrang?"

"I came to Durmstrang because Professor Snape, whilst a genius in his own way, is also a nutter. Did you know he has arranged to have goblins, half goblins and even elves in almost every year at Prince Peak? I ask you, who can take that without protest?"

"And mudbloods too I suppose?"

"Oh I have nothing against mudbloods" said Jade "Hybrid vigour you know! I am proud to be a Malfoy; but frankly you German types place far too much emphasis on purity of blood, though I used it to get in here. I can't help thinking of the purity of the Gaunt family who gave rise to Voldemort and shuddering at the, er, purity of THEIR blood."

"Indeed? I do not know the story."

"You have of course heard of Salazar Slytherin; who has not! His last descendants were Marvolo Gaunt and his son Morfin and daughter Merope; all so inbred that had scarcely any magic between them and Merope virtually a squib. They couldn't even cure her squint! They were dirty, ignorant, stupid and probably incestuous. Merope was witch enough to brew a love potion for the muggle she fancied; and stupid enough to believe he had fallen in love with her for real. She died in a muggle hospital giving birth to her son – who became Voldemort. I almost feel sorry for Voldemort."

"Why? Wasn't he a loser?" said Von Frettchen.

"Yes; but with such a background it was almost inevitable. In the orphanage he cut himself off from emotion and so lost the ability to feel it; and so he was ALMOST a winner – for he was subtle – but he missed the point of the other side of the dark arts. There are two sides to it; as not all realise, especially not the likes of Schrempf."

"I would be interested to hear how you define the two sides" said Von Frettchen.

"The side most people think of is the often brute force side – though it may contain some subtleties – such as the unforgivable curses and ordinary sorts of cursed items" said Jade "The sort of spells and things made with the unbridled imagination and no appreciation of consequences that mark out the wizard of considerable power and no self-discipline, lashing out rather like a toddler in an 'I want' temper tantrum. The other side is the side that wants, but realises consequences and works with slower, but more certain results towards a goal; the side that controls with deeply implanted controls and sets up conditions that make their would-be tools come willingly to worship them. Almost, Voldemort understood this; but in the end he decided on implanting crass compulsions and insisted on demeaning his disciples. Like I demeaned Schrempf; as I would never do to a follower. I am not so small that I must needs make myself feel larger by humiliating others that follow me. Only my enemies. And if one would have loyalty, of course, one must give it too. As I have no doubt YOU have worked on a means to free that spy fellow that Snape turned into a house elf."

"I – you know of that? Well, I have been searching for a way; once I realised it really was Dunkelwald. Do you know how they did it and how it might be counteracted?"

"The way I heard it they chanted over him using Finnish naming magic; and the only ways to release him would be to use a similar method of chanting – I suppose a man in your position has expert chanters at your disposal" at which Von Frettchen chose to look inscrutable and Jade bit back the grin that he had no idea where to find such a chanter " – or you brew mandragora using his true name chanted appropriately as you brew it; naming the root you use for him should work."

"Thank you; that is helpful information. Poor Dunkelwald will be pleased to be free of that horrible form."

"And its inbuilt compulsions" said Jade "Or so I understand. He is lucky to have an effective master to whom he may feel absolute loyalty and trust, so he does not have to punish himself for disloyal thoughts."

Von Frettchen shot her a look. He knew that Dunkelwald DID self-punish; and wondered what thoughts he might have when he, Von Frettchen, was doing his utmost to free his one-time fag.

"It is a shame there are those like this Nactigall boy in ODESSA " said Von Frettchen.

"He is a disgrace to his name and lineage" said Jade "I know Katarina Nachtigall; I admire her; she is strong. And from what I understand Friedolf Nachtigall was loyal to ODESSA until he was turned into a werewolf – you know the story?" Von Frettchen nodded and she went on "And the way he was treated turned him against the organisation. Which idiot decided that all werewolves were just animals regardless of previous status I don't know; but it is no way to lead men. I know something of what it is to be wolf – I am an animagus – but the idea of losing my sentience to be in the form is horrifying and is a time when support and understanding could have brought unswerving loyalty instead of, as I have seen from those werewolves Snape has cured, dumb acceptance and smouldering resentment. If I was in the upper echelons of ODESSA I'd arrange to get the prince wed to some girl idiotic enough to think it an honour and then see he had an accident! Snape's avoided killing him for a very good reason you know!"

"Has he spoken of it?"

"He? No. But his daughter has. A live clown is no harm to anyone; if he's a dead martyr he can't do something ineffably stupid any more to remind people that he's not a hero."

"I did not know that they went so far as to call him a clown" said Von Frettchen grimly "Were you there during the Triwizard when the attack took place?"

"Yes; it was quite stimulating" said Jade "The dementors were easy of course; we've been well drilled in dealing with them, herd them together with patronuses then use the spell _ride_ to make them laugh themselves literally into pieces. I handled half a dozen or so; Snape's wife and Madam Granger – she's a friend of Harry Potter – had this friendly rivalry going; they're of the class that can handle one with each hand. I believe Madam Snape won by seventeen to sixteen. Then the storm wizards came, and it got a little confused; and then they let the dragons out. Snape had guessed what would happen and called in a favour from a previous pupil who was a dragon handler. They'd have mopped up the rest only they went into mating frenzy; Professor Fraser voiced the opinion that someone from the survivors of ODESSA managed to confund the male into thinking the female was ready."

"A nice piece of magic" said Von Frettchen "The best Dragon Handler in the world cannot handle them when they are mating."

"Quite" said Jade "Fraser's a good teacher, but Professor Carcano's better; I'm really enjoying HIS classes by the way" she added.

"He is rather good" said Von Frettchen, wishing that of the teachers who were good and of those who supported ODESSA there were at least one or two who coincided. "Do you know how Snape enchants the guns?"

Jade shrugged.

"I've never seen any enchantment ritual of them" she said – with absolute truth. "I could not confirm; nobody has hold of one long enough to try any reverse engineering."

"I hear he can project himself too" said Von Frettchen.

"Oh the famous Brockenbow trick" said Jade "That's a secret known only to his closest family."

That was perfectly true too.

Von Frettchen was using legilimensy. He was not, in Jade's opinion very good and her occlumensy eluded him easily, letting her present such pictures as she wanted him to see; and by avoiding the lie direct it made it easier.

"He has spoken of it though?" persisted Von Frettchen.

"Oh yes! I understand he told Prince Gerhardt that if he interfered again he would cane him – one assumes he uses some energy formed device to do so – and has done so twice. He and his son were laughing about it when they returned from the first Triwizard task after the debacle of the double attack. The Prince's strategic designs on the English schools is sound, but his methods! Puerile in the extreme; brute force and ignorance! It puts one in mind of some playground bully who thinks he can push around the little kids and yet still have their support and who hopes the teachers won't notice. He doesn't seem to have grown up much past about twelve. I have to say that unless ODESSA changed its direction I'd be loath to have anything to do with it. To my mind it needs to concentrate more on consolidating in Germany, using the werewolves – if there are any left – with compassion and efficiency, properly led, perhaps by an animagus of some type, quietly shuffling the Prince into a subsidiary role as a figurehead only until he can produce a son to be raised as a GENTLEMAN rather than a Bavarian – uh, barbarian – and taking over the ministry by stealth or force to lend a legitimacy and to stop skulking in the shadows as an organisation everyone knows about even if your sports minister DOES declare it a figment of the imagination."

"We have not been strong enough to move into the light; and resources HAVE been wasted against the schools" Von Frettchen admitted.

"Huh, if the Ministry here is like the ministry in London when Voldemort was briefly in charge, they're a much softer proposition than a veteran of the two wizarding wars like Snape; and of three wars, like Dumbledore. Who fought GELLERT Grindelwald who DID understand the subtle path. HE would be a leader worthy of the name" said Jade who admired the abilities, if not the aims of Gellert Grindelwald and was therefore able to simulate admiration easily. "If you once had happy werewolves held in disciplined manner, the threat of being bitten if they opposed you and the promise of NOT being bitten if they complied would almost certainly bring the ministry into line. The ministry in London would have been presenting their backsides to be sniffed to be known as friends before you could tell them to drop their pants" she added dryly. Jade had seen the ministry in non-action and had no illusions about their moral or physical courage.

"Well! You have given me much to think about; and a possible cure for my friend; for which I thank you again" said Von Frettchen. "By the way, what do you study for the Dark Arts?"

"I teach my friends a corporeal patronus" said Jade "And I have read through the whole book; there is nothing in it I have not already discovered ferreting about in the eclectic libraries of Prince Peak and – on the odd occasion I've been invited there – Malfoy Manor. It's fairly low level games on the whole; I think I know more about the dark arts than the author. It was a trifle disappointing to be quite honest."

"Well perhaps you might like to come and see MY library one day" said Von Frettchen.

"That is an invitation I should like to take you up on" said Jade "Thank you."

Let him think he had a way of controlling her; a way to satisfy her hunger for knowledge.

Jade was pretty certain nobody had a more extensive library than the combined ones of Lucius and Hogwarts school; and Durmstrang's murkier shelves too. Most of the dark magic books in Durmstrang however were of the more brute force kind of dark magics; and not, therefore, too dangerous. There had been a few things in the text book she had not known – certain rules that enabled the better crafting of curses so they were harder to lift, for example; that once she had read them she realised she already followed with jinxes on an instinctive level. And some of the specific curses she had not come across, mostly because they were heavy, Germanic, and pedestrian. The fixing of compulsions was old news – Jade had been implanting minor compulsions since she was about eight, mostly of the nature of having juniors feel the urge to tell someone if they were being bullied – and did not go anywhere near even Voldemort's famous efforts. If this was the highest level of exam expertise, even those who studied the book should be easy enough for one of the most junior of Marauders to handle, Jade thought. She planned to read every dark book in the library eventually of course; but in the meantime she had at least implanted some ideas on Von Frettchen that would hopefully bear fruit. Keep the prince alive – for now; treat werewolves better – and she had dropped in the information that she was a wolf animagus – and go for the ministry.

And then Madam Bacsó would lead her triumphant students against the wizarding backup to the werewolves and the werewolves would turn on the ODESSA troops too.

Plans went wrong; but the simpler and looser they were the less likely that was. And this was simple and loose; and adaptable.

Now she just had to wait; and maybe too start to win hearts and minds of Goblins and get her group working to help them. Easier said than done; but one might as well be optimistic.

It was a good start.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Von Frettchen's tour of the school, that he did to cover his interest in Nefrita Von Strang was brought up short at the fire writing that said

"Nefrita Von Strang fucks old Rebet."

"Filth" said Von Frettchen in distaste.

"Indeed!" said Madam Bacsó "Libellous filth; and potentially damaging to both one of my staff and one of my pupils!" she clapped her hands and an elf appeared "Elf, find Professor Rebet and Fraulein Von Strang and ask them to come here; whilst it is improper for you to use legilimensy on a young girl, Herr Herzog, you shall question Rebet and clear them both!"

Von Frettchen did not see fit to admit that he had already used legilimensy on Fraulein Baronin Von Strang; he had satisfied himself that she was what and who she said she was and that she was of great potential use to him even if it was rather a shame he would be unlikely to talk HER into sleeping with the Prince to produce a child with claims on Britain too. Perhaps he could work on that!

Jade turned up slightly ahead of Professor Rebet and did a double take.

"Well WHAT a thing to do to a professor to make such dirty allegations of his honour!" she said.

"I rather fancy it was aimed more at you, my dear" said Madam Bacsó dryly.

"And I quite able to disprove it" said Jade calmly absently rebuilding her hymen and retightening her womb "If you would care to use a revelaspell to check my virginity, Madam Bacsó."

"I – perhaps it is necessary" said Madam Bacsó, getting out her wand.

Jade reflected that it would be a nuisance for the next baby – though she could probably reverse the spells – but it might be an advantage to be able to play virginal and scared if Von Frettchen got any funny ideas about her laying with his fat-arsed prince.

Unless she dropped a false memory on the prince that he had had the time of his life, and just got pregnant again with Wolf; that might be funny.

And risky.

Rebet arrived at that moment and spluttered at the message.

"Who has done this iniquitous thing?" he demanded once he had run out of Ukrainian swear words and returned to German.

"Unfortunately that we cannot determine" said Madam Bacsó grimly.

"With due respect, Madam Bacsó, what is wrong with using a chant to engulf the last wand used here so that you have the wand of the culprit?" said Jade "A wand is very personal; and so crude a person, missing it later, would likely admit to having lost it if asked. You then use _priori incantatem_ to reveal their guilt; and enact such punishment as you see fit; and I know what I'd do" she added grimly.

"What is that dear?" said Bacsó who had wondered about expulsion.

"First I'd drop a saponification spell in so filthy a mouth to wash it out, and then as their morals belong in the toilet and they obviously have too much free time I'd have them cleaning the toilets every Saturday afternoon from now until Yule" said Jade. "With elves ordered to treat them not as pupils but as servants during the cleaning period, and ordered not to take notice of orders from such a person to self-punish so they'd do their job with more enthusiasm."

"Very ingenious, Nefrita my dear!" said Bacsó. "Can you er, do this engulfing chant?"

"If Professor Rebet will aid me by writing around it the arithmantic equation for engulfing" said Jade "The source of this filth no doubt being that I have been able to help Professor Rebet by showing him some chanting techniques to enhance potions."

"And very useful it is" said Rebet "And not unchaperoned either; Fraulein Von Strang brings friends who are also interested to learn."

"I am glad to hear it" said Bacsó who did not want ANY scandal attached to her own potential Harry Potter substitute.

Jade chanted cheerfully and soon a wand fell with a dull PLOP from mid-air.

"Ingenious" said Von Frettchen. "Perhaps you should stay on to teach this chanting formally after your ZH exams Fraulein Baronin."

"I might" said Jade "On the other hand I might duel for the position of Dark Arts teacher; just on general principles of efficiency. I HATE inefficiency. If nobody touches that wand I could find out who it belongs to."

"Go on" said Madam Bacsó.

Jade summoned paper from mid-air – without bothering with her own wand and gloves too to put on – and rubbed it up and down the wand.

"Sweat, skin fragments; parts of the owner" she said, deftly folding the paper into a bird. String appeared in her hand to tie to it; and she handed the other end to Madam Bacsó and murmured the finding charm to the bird. Using the wand directly was harder; Willow Black could have done it, but Willow had an affinity for wands. Jade preferred an old fashioned, tried and trusted method such as this that David Fraser had invented and Draco and Harry had used as aurors.

"My uncle Draco has used this method in his capacity as an auror" she volunteered wondering how hard Draco would clip her across the back of the head for appending the 'uncle'.

Unsurprisingly the trail lead to Nachtigall.

"I believe this is your wand" said Madam Bacsó coldly.

"No, mine is….. I say, it's GONE!" said Nachtigall.

"Is this your wand?" asked Madam Bacsó.

"I – yes, I do believe it is!" said Nachtigall, holding out his hand for it.

Madam Bacsó cast _Priori Incantatem_; and the shadowy fire writing sprang up.

"So" she said "Slanderous and anonymous; taking away the good name of a professor that might have cost him his job had there not been a competent legilimens on hand to check his innocence. You have the manners of the gutter; and a filthy mouth; _saponify!_" as she cast the saponification spell. Nachtigall retched. "You will spend all your Saturday leisure from now until Yule scrubbing lavatories; as you obviously have too much free time" said Madam Bacsó "And you will be supervised by elves who you will NOT be able to order about or make to punish themselves" she added with satisfaction as his eyes looked cunning on the suggestion elves supervise him. It did not take a legilimens to know he had planned to order THEM to do the work instead.

Nachtgall was horrified.

"But it's not slander, it's TRUE!" he said soapily "I've seen her meeting with him out of school hours!"

"Donner und Blitzen, Nachtigall, does it not occur to you that some of us talk to professors out of school hours because we actually care about the subjects we study" said Cacilia dryly. "In addition to showing several of us, under the kind leadership of Professor Rebet, some English magic techniques that are out of YOUR league, Nefrita has a very exciting Potions project on at the moment – you'd like it Nachtigall, she's reproducing the potion Circe used to turn men into swine, just up your street!"

Nachtigall snarled and blew bubbles.

"You are despicable and low minded" said Bacsó "And if you come once more to my attention in a negative sense, Herr Nachtigall, you will be expelled; and somehow I doubt you'll be able to beg to take your ZH's in an English school, even Hellibore's."

Nachtigall was horrified!

And Herzog Von Frettchen, great man in ODESSA , was nodding!

It was just too bad!

He would have to find some other way to pay back the Von Strang bitch!

Jade did not seriously think that Nachtigall was likely to cause her any significant trouble; the fags hung tightly together and there was very little that he could manage that she could not deal with personally. She made sure to keep a close eye on her friends; who were the vulnerable ones. Nachtigall was a minor nuisance.

She had more important things to do.

Things like persuading her friends towards less supremacist views; which in light of her own supposed declared dislike of goblins and educated elves was going to be hard.

She decided to attack ODESSA first; and held forth after the run; after dismissing the fags.

"The rise of ODESSA was due of course to the brilliance of Gellert Grindelwald" she said "A man who knew how to craft his lies so cleverly that reasonable, sensible people believed in them and truly believed they were working for the good of all."

"What do you mean?" demanded Ritter Kesselring.

That stuffed robe was the most conventional and convinced; if she could win HIM the others would surely be relatively easy!

"Why, the fact that good people, if told that something 'is for the common good', will tend to want to believe it; because good people find it hard to accept that others have less honour" said Jade "Politicians, wizarding and muggle alike, use it all the time. Muggles at the moment are trying to bring in repressive laws and spout the buzz-phrase 'it's for the children'. Which is no more true or based on reality than Grindelwald's phrase, 'for the greater good'. It was for the greater good of Grindelwald; that IS for sure. But when has it been for the greater good to confine people for having a disease that can be either cured or at least contained? Ritter, you know something of the story of Friedolf Nachtigall; I'm now going to reveal the whole truth of that since I think you have a need to know, and Katarina said I might speak of it if I felt it necessary" and she told the story, leaving out only that she and Wolf had removed sundry werewolf families from the compound, implying that they had escaped themselves to try to seek help for their children. "And" she went on "Even before Professor Snape's cure, there was wolfbane potion that contains the manifestations of the disease, permitting the werewolf to go into a lethargy and sleep during the time of full moon. These people were denied that. Moreover, I have heard that goblins suffering from black goblin fever are just shut up and left to die."

"But what else is there to do? It is so contagious and can pass too to humans" said Traudl.

"Well I should have thought curing it would have been a better solution" said Jade dryly.

"There is no cure!" said Traudl.

"Excuse me? Do not lie to me!" said Jade "The disease is extinct in England because of the cure developed a couple of hundred years ago; I will not brook lies!"

Traudl went white.

"I – Nefrita it was not a lie! I have never heard of a cure!"

The others murmured support of her.

Jade looked at her long.

"No; I see you have not" she said "I apologise for doubting you; your words seemed as tritely put as the trotting out of the phrase 'the greater good'; I wondered if you preferred to just blame goblins without caring if they lived or died."

"I thought you did not like goblins?" asked Rodica.

"There is a difference between being dubious about whom I go to school with and having common compassion for those who share our world with us" said Jade "And to be honest with you, having got here, the goblins at Prince Peak are ten times more ladies and gentlemen than the likes of Nachtigall. As I have said, the English are more concerned with courteous usage than birth; and that is shown into a very sharp contrast when such vulgar types as Herr Quabbelig are concerned. And his sadistic little sidekick De Witt. Goblins are a part of our world and there is no reason we should not be civil to them – in their proper place. And I suspect that a little more compassion from the ruling human classes would give them sufficient gratitude that they would keep to their place more readily; rather than resenting being ground down as I have heard goblins here are. Like being denied the cure for a deadly disease; such that even you, some of the most educated in the land, have not heard of. It is easy to brew; and tomorrow morning I shall teach you to brew it, and we shall ask Madam Bacsó to find out if there is an epidemic anywhere and WE will go and cure it; and gain allies in the goblin community who will be grateful to us. And one day we can use their aid to bring down this ridiculous and harmful ODESSA ."

"Why bother?" said Volodya "It's a laughing stock; it will collapse of its own accord."

"Probably; but not before it has caused even more trouble to the German and Russian people and the satellite nations" said Jade "It is a pale shadow of what Grindelwald built but it is still a nuisance for its contumely."

"It is surely a great push to establish proper values!" said Ritter.

"Ah? Then if you are such a gentleman that you think proper values include sending dementors in force against children I do not think I want to accept your brand of loyalty" said Jade.

"What is this? Who has told you such lies?"

"Ritter, I was AT Prince Peak when it was attacked by werewolves; then the first attack by dementors; then the attack during the Triwizard with massed dementors and an army of stormwizards" said Jade "YOU were not; nor were you in the ODESSA attack so you know NOTHING. And I have Malfoy cousins at Hogwarts whose word I accept that there have been similar attacks there. Werewolves, erklings, huorns; DO you think this acceptable?"

"I – no it is not!" the boy was visibly shocked. "Not at all! I did not realise – you swear this is truth?"

"I so swear" said Jade "The first werewolf to turn to Snape's side was captured wounded; and had not known that he and the others were set on children. Even ODESSA 's own TROOPS were lied to. Surely you cannot give any credence then to ANYthing they say?"

"My whole belief structure has fallen in tatters since you came" said Ritter dolefully.

"Blame not me" said Jade "I have merely been the instrument of your escape from the bondage of lies. If you are not strong enough to live in freedom that is scarcely my fault."

"I AM strong enough!" shouted Ritter "I will bring down these lying bastards!"

"I know you are strong enough" said Jade softly, putting a hand on his arm "Sometimes a friend must goad to help another to find his true strength."

He stared at her.

"Yes; you are a friend" he said harshly "You admit when you manipulate."

Jade had a qualm of conscience there; having deliberately accused Traudl of lying, knowing that she was not; knowing that she was manipulating them all shamelessly.

"I have not told any of you whole truth" said Jade "Because you are not ready for it yet. I do swear that I am loyal to you as my friends and will do all I can in your best interests. But I need people who are ready to stand with me; and help against this blasted abomination that is, on the whole, made up of two kinds of people; the misguided, truly believing the lies, such as you, Ritter, would have been had you joined; and the little, petty people using it to grub out a higher position for themselves, sneering at those who have believed the big lie. Such as Hedda Schrempf who gives away her selfish, self-seeking inadequacy at every turn. HER appointment was a big mistake on the part of ODESSA ; for she shows up the true colours of so many of them, of Prince Gerhardt himself; for attitudes come from the top. And he is one who, to make himself one up, must make sure that everyone else is one down."

"Like the followers of his grandfather who would not show respect to anyone else" said Cacilia.

"Precisely" said Jade.

"What do we do?" asked Lazlo.

"We shall be working covertly under Madam Bacsó who will aid us" said Jade "And I shall be attempting to infiltrate ODESSA . I do not ask anyone else to do so; if anyone wishes to, that's going to be crash class in occlumensy time. Herzog Von Frettchen is a legilimens; not a very good one, but he IS a legilimens."

"He's supposed to be very good" said Cacilia mildly.

"When you've been on the carpet in front of Professor Snape you KNOW what very good is and he isn't it" said Jade.

"Is he an honourable man?" asked Ritter. Jade pondered.

"Actually, I believe on the whole he is" she said "I – I should like to separate him from ODESSA but I don't know if I'm good enough. Madam Bacsó will also be working on that but we must be very careful. I do not know if we shall be able to make any move before we leave school; if not, we shall have to be ready afterwards. Be careful; show NOTHING by word or deed. And, I am going to be infinitely rude and legilimens you all; and if you cannot support me I will place a compulsion that you cannot speak of this."

"That's far more subtle than any of the compulsions in the dark arts book!" cried Ritter.

"I AM far more subtle than any of the crap in the dark arts book" said Jade "And modest too; hadn't you noticed?"

The laugh THAT brought cleared some tension; and Jade peered into the eyes of each.

Each mind reflected the same thoughts; that she had given them already far more than any other teacher or pupil, she had given them hope and hope for fags and younger siblings; and she would protect them. And this they KNEW. And so they would support her.

Jade beamed.

She had no reason to suppose any of these was a greater occlumens than she was a legilimens; she after all had prepared herself to be questioned by Voldemort in case he decided to check her daddy's loyalty by questioning his vulnerable children; and she and Lydia had practised secretly during the fear of the Voldemort years. Few people had been using legilimensy from the age of seven.

Next Jade must see Herr Rebet.

Herr Rebet almost smiled at her.

"Sir, may I have permission with other members of the sixth and observers from the lower school to use the potions dungeon before school tomorrow?" she asked.

"I – yes, I trust you; what are you planning on doing?"

"Well sir, as the cure for black goblin fever is left out of the curriculum I thought I would teach them to brew it" said Jade.

Rebet stared.

"There is a CURE?" he demanded.

"Yes sir; it's an old cure; Professor Snape dredged it out because an outbreak was brought to his attention; it's extinct in England of course because the cure is so old" said Jade.

"This is a free period for you? Then demonstrate to me now!" said Rebet as she nodded.

Jade duly brewed the potion; she had learned it well.

"Professor Snape believes it also will act as a prophylactic for up to a week" she said "And I'm not about to argue with him on that."

"No indeed; his abilities are legendary" said Rebet. "And it cures it totally… how long does it take?"

"I believe the symptoms begin reduction in about ten minutes and are gone within twenty four hours even in serious cases" said Jade "Of course if the patient is at the point of death other measures are needed too, rehydration and treatment for general debility. Professor Snape recommended a couple of pints of beer and a pepperup potion."

Rebet laughed.

"Practical; beer as well as being liquid contains sugars to replace those lost vomiting and is easy to digest" he said. "It is diuretic though; but then I suppose that removes any lasting poisons from the body."

"Quite so; and gives the patient the strength to drink plain water and eat properly" said Jade.

"I will sit in while you brew this and help you teach it; and I shall install it as part of the curriculum" said Rebet "It is, as you say, a simple potion; suitable for the fourth year."

"If you are prepared to help me, would you then also help me supervise those younger ones who wish to learn?" said Jade "I would not, of course, have permitted them to work in the dungeon without adult supervision but if more people know of it from the point of view of practical experience…. I wanted the fags to watch."

"Below their level of expertise; yet I suppose one might gauge thereby which ones are likely to actually make potioneers one day" said Rebet "What time?"

"About six thirty after our run" said Jade.

"Your run?"

"Some of us run to increase our stamina and help with sustaining spells; and too it increases lung capacity so we chant better. I hesitated to have the cheek to invite you" she added.

"I – there can be no harm so long as proper respect is retained" said Rebet. "My lungs are so much better; to increase them further in efficacy to aid with chanting would be useful if you are prepared to accept my presence."

"We would be much honoured sir" said Jade. Sooner or later he'd unbend and then he'd be a happier person too!

"We have an in to win goblins" said Jade to Madam Bacsó.

"Er, we do my dear?" said Madam Bacsó.

"We do" said Jade firmly "I have discovered that the cure for black Goblin fever appears to be unknown on the continent; if you can use your contacts to discover any outbreak we, your disciples, can take the cure and succour to the unfortunate afflicted preventing its spread to the poor human population that will doubtless live alongside and so winning THEIR plaudits also. You will be the heroine of the masses; and it will not immediately get to ODESSA because they will take no notice of such people. It gives us a window of opportunity. Von Frettchen MUST woo your support back – I had the impression there was constraint between you, that you had cleverly showed your discontent with ODESSA and such as Schrempf."

Madam Bacsó nodded.

"He is a clever enough man that if I tried effusive support he would realise I lied" she said "Disgruntlement seemed therefore the best course to take."

"We work rather well together you and I, actually" said Jade "I've voiced my own concerns to him; and made some suggestions and dropped in some hints in passing that he'll have to work a little bit to put together. A clever man like that has to be played like a fish on a line; especially if we hope to separate him from ODESSA . You'd make a very handsome duchess, Ma'am."

Madam Bacsó looked startled.

"That's moving rather further than I like" she said.

"Oh, my apologies" said Jade "I was just thinking of the idea of having him kept well in order by a forceful wife who would encourage him to think and plan but not too much. Men get into such dreadful trouble if they're allowed to plan."

Madam Bacsó laughed.

"You have your prejudices, my dear!" she said.

"Well the only plotters I've heard of who managed to breed legitimately are Gellert Grindelwald and Lucius" Jade said "And they are both efficient plotters; I draw the obvious inference that men who are sexually frustrated are too concerned with their sublimination of desire to actually engage brain before letting fly with their plots. Too much time on their hands and not enough womanly common sense to say 'yes dear but had you thought…' to bring them to a full stop before they do anything daft."

"An interesting theory" said Bacsó. "You do not wish to be a duchess yourself?"

"Well he's a little geriatric for me" said Jade. "From your point of view he's an older man without being a several generations sort of older man."

"We are of an age" said Madam Bacsó.

"Well that proves he's in need of having his plots sat on then" said Jade "They're plainly ageing him and unlike wine not in a good way."

Madam Bacsó laughed.

"You are the most impudent child!" she said.

"Well, if it amuses you, I'll take that as a compliment, Madam Bacsó!" said Jade.

Jade had settled into a routine by now; she worked hard enough at her lessons, delighting in covering a different selection of ancient runes to those she already knew, and working on a thesis around her translating discoveries; and also mugging up Linear B to work on the passages written by Circe. She discovered that she had absorbed more than she had realised in herbology, from listening to her father on the subject of properly raised plants and through helping out in the greenhouses before she even went to school; and was well up with the rest in theory of fertiliser. And as for self motile plants, she had received a rather more practical education than most in fighting huorns! She had also picked up quite a lot from Hagrid, enough at least to ask intelligent questions; and Professor Carcano waxed enthusiastic. He had received an encouraging reply from Lucius and a suggestion of a meeting over Yule to cement a business alliance, which meeting he was extremely keen on.

"Lucius is fair; I grant him that" Jade had said "If he thinks there's money in it he'll make sure you get your share of that as well as of fame; he's not mean. I expect he'll arrange a nice water tight contract for you both to sign; and he'll respect you the more if you read it through carefully and ask him if there's any point in too obscure a bit of quaestor-speak for any normal person to follow without a ZH in high falutin'."

Professor Carcano laughed.

"My thanks for the warnings!" he said.

They had been studying dragons, some with the use of omniocular recordings, and mostly in theory; and Jade had fended off his questions about being very close to Hungarian Horntails, so he had heard, at Prince Peak by explaining that she, in common with most of the students, preferred to avoid crossing the courtyard until they had been taken away again, not having the knowledge to cope.

Fortunately the good professor accepted this as sensible and reasonable; he had respect for outsize creatures with too many teeth but no sentimental attachments the way Hagrid did!

And at night, Jade took her invisibility cloak and prowled about logging such secret passages as she might find on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; and on the other days she slept with her husband and played with their son.

She found a few more passages in addition to the ones she had found during the Triwizard; Jade, after all, had served an apprenticeship of passage finding under Fred and George Weasley who happily babysat for her and Lydia, perceiving the little girls as a most useful alibi and claiming firmly that they were only trying to follow the children when caught breaking bounds. A statue of some gothic druid with the look of dyspepsia concealed one passage that led into the forest; and another passage opened up from the dungeon and led all the way to the head's study with peep holes at various places on the way. Jade caught up on sleep in the afternoons of those days that were free, doing her preparation quickly – most of it was easy enough to her after all – and dozing once she had finished, using spells to prop her in a sitting position in the library allied with cushioning charms for comfort. As she was soon known for reading obscure – and to most people boring – works, she got left alone.

She did ask the Eulenspiegel twins idly,

"How come you and your friends never seem to use the secret passage from your common room to the kitchens and turret room?"

"WHAT secret passage from our common room. Fraulein?" asked Xanthippe.

"You mean you've been here two and a bit years, are the main source of mischief in the school and you haven't found a passage it took me three days to uncover?" said Jade "Shame on you!"

"Indeed!" said Xanthe "I suppose we never thought there might be a secret passage in the school."

"My good Owl-Glass there are dozens!" said Jade "And I'm busy mapping them; and if your lot manage to find any I shall bequeath you my map when I leave."

The twins exchanged looks.

"Excuse me, Fraulein, but have you and the others any more use for us this afternoon?" asked Xanthe.

"I don't think so!" laughed Jade "Cacilia?"

"Oh let them go hunting passages!" laughed Cacilia. The twins needed no second urging! Cacilia added as they went "Is this to give the little ones somewhere to hide if ODESSA attack us here?"

"Not entirely; it's a means to move around if we get occupied by ODESSA " said Jade. "As I don't rule out you know. And it's also healthy mischief to be engaged on, rather than the usual pranks of pay back that has a certain unpleasantness to it, even when thoroughly deserved. Let them maraud about the passages; they might even find some I have not, and we may have a use for them in the furtherance of our schemes."

Cacilia nodded.

"I have to say" she said "I too would like to see these passages; it never occurred to me to look for any either!"

Jade giggled "Then tonight I'll take you on a guided tour" she said.

The invisibility cloak was a surprise to the other girls too; and voted a vital piece of kit when Professor Nagy was discovered prowling!

And in the turret room, Cacilia, Rodica and Traudl could quite see what Nefrita had meant about being a good secret headquarters to plot if they were in some unhappy circumstances for any reason!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Durmstrang had a holiday for Halloween that fell this year on a Monday; and so there was a half day on Friday too. And Madam Bacsó asked Jade to her office.

"There is an outbreak of Black Goblin Fever in Munich; if you are still determined to go through with this."

"I am" said Jade "Are you accompanying us, Agata?"

Madam Bacsó hesitated.

"Yes" she said "You are right; we need to win hearts and minds. And if it is a prophylactic we can also pass that out amongst the adjacent human population."

Jade nodded.

"I'll gather up my volunteers and see if Professor Rebet wants to go along too; we have some ready brewed doses, he's been helping me teach the brewing."

Madam Bacsó looked surprised.

"He put himself out?" she asked in astonishment.

"He put himself out – for people willing to pursue his subject" said Jade.

"And he does owe you" said Madam Bacsó.

Jade shrugged.

"That was no big deal" she said.

Jade only asked third and fourth years to accompany the older ones, the two sets of twins and the friends of the Eulenspiegels, and Scholastica.

She got most of the first and second years too with Axel Von Rabe explaining that they had, most of them, never seen goblins up close and if they were to be pursuing the proper course of taking care of such dependants it was only proper that they should. Jade applauded this attitude and told them not to stare.

Professor Rebet wanted to watch the effects of the potion in action; so he was ready to come.

And Jade made everyone who was going take a dose as a prophylactic of their own.

Ministry guards kept people back from the goblin street in Munich that opened off a wizarding street.

"Keep away, Ma'am, you and the children; there's black Goblin fever here" said one of the ministry men.

"Quite" said Agata Bacsó "THAT is why we are here; the children of Durmstrang have come to brew the cure that has been for some reason ignored, and my potions master to supervise them. We have all taken a prophylactic dose; stand aside and let the competent deal with this. We SHALL" she said loudly "Be handing out a prophylactic dose to all those who live in proximity to the Kobboldstrasse."

There was a ragged cheer from those watching who had started to make ugly noises about wasting potions on kobbolds.

Madam Bacsó swept past the ministry men like the pied piper of Hamelin with her charges in her wake.

"That was magnificent, Agata" said Jade quietly "Every inch a leader."

Madam Bacsó smiled.

"You have to believe in yourself" she said.

Jade smiled. THAT one she knew; and that her chosen tool knew also was useful. Jade hated all the lying but turning up as Jade Snape would have accomplished nothing.

A few disconsolate goblins slouched around the place. Jade snapped her fingers and beckoned one who looked less ill natured than some of the others.

"We have a cure for the black fever" she said crisply "Have people go to every apartment to apprise them that we will be handing out a dose to everyone; and find out for me in which apartments the people are too ill to leave so we may go to them. We will dose people more effectively if they are able to come out and wait in line as it is a fine day."

"Er…yes, noble witch" said the goblin.

Professor Rebet had set up a couple of large cauldrons in the middle of the street and the little ones were running errands for him.

A big swaggering goblin came out carrying a child of about five years old in one arm and a musket in the other.

"My son is dying anyway" he said "HE will test your potion; and if it does not work, I kill you, witch."

"Fair enough" said Jade "While he lives, the potion should work though if he is so ill he will still need some nursing. Here's some we prepared earlier" she added, lifting the child into her arms with the ease of one used to cuddling younger siblings. The child's breath was crepitant and painful "Drink this down, little one; it hurts I know but swallow it all, I pour it slowly. Sofie, my Blümchen, a wet rag to bathe his forehead; it will help speed the healing."

Sofie ran quickly and brought a cooling rag.

"Here Fraulein Von Strang" she said.

"Thank you…. Now then little Spatzi, do not cry; open up thy mouth and show papa how the spots subside."

The goblin man stared to see a witch giving an endearment name like little sparrow to his son; and as the child obediently opened his mouth he cried out in wonder.

"Why, his mouth was black with spots and his throat almost closed for them; now I see pink skin already!"

"Open up; if you're a community leader I need you healthy" said Jade crisply spooning in a dose. "This little one will need nourishing broth for a few days to build up his strength."

The goblin spread his arms.

"Alas, how will we get such? None will come in here until we are all dead or the disease run its course; we have no food."

Jade stared.

"And so you are more likely to succumb to the disease because you starve? Iniquitous! Gisela, you are no potioneer and are almost as loathsomely rich as me; take some of the little ones and buy food to make good broth. Why are you staring at me?" she said to the fourth year girl.

"I do not know how to make broth, Nefrita" said Gisela.

"How many live here?" asked Jade of the goblin leader.

"Some two hundred, noble witch" said the man.

"Hmm…. Get two dozen shin bones of cow and eighty chickens, twenty pounds of onions and as much of carrots and thirty pounds of potatoes" said Jade "We can make broth for a day or two from that so at least everyone has soup, strained for the illest, robust for those who are better. Get also one hundred loaves; and one hundred pints of milk, damn that's er, oh get fifty litres more is better than less. Any left over bread will make bread pudding, so get a stone of raisins too and ten pounds of sugar."

"Yes Nefrita" said Gisela.

"I will help, Fraulein Von Freyer, I know how to cook!" said Elfleda.

"Good girl; you just got promoted to chief cook" said Jade "I need your sister brewing."

"AND we'll need more cauldrons and a portable oven" Elfleda went off explaining to Gisela..

Jade shook her head as she set up her cauldron.

"A few goblin women who aren't too ill to help my ridiculously ignorant clever friends might not come amiss when I've dosed them" she said to the goblin. "What is your name? I am Nefrita Von Strang."

"I am Neric, noble witch" said the goblin.

"Excellent; you will help me keep this organised and running smoothly, Neric" said Jade "And persuade those who are afraid it is a trick to take the dose. We would like to see all children taking a dose first, and the little ones here will carry medicine to those who are too ill to come out. In such apartments when all are well, we will brew also a spray that will kill the diseases left in clothes, bedclothes and plaster – it can lurk in plaster walls and start an infection if the plaster was put up by one who was infected up to a hundred years before, maybe more; if such crumbles, as plaster will."

"Is that so? I did not know that; the plaster here always crumbles – I was not making complaint" he added hastily.

Jade sniffed.

"Judging by the look of the housing from the outside I'd say any person had every right to complain; but I suppose you have unpleasant landlords. Traudl, take a memo, we're buying this place out and doing it up; nobody ought to live in such conditions."

"It is not fit for swine" said gentle Volodya "I have just looked inside one place. It has mould from damp on the walls. Nobody could have any artistic feeling in such a place; music dies here. I will contribute to making it better."

Neric was giving him a funny look.

"He's our resident genius" said Jade "No mind outside music; has to be kicked in the ankle to remind him to eat if he has a tune in his head. Don't mind him; it's not cheek, only his brain that has tact switched permanently off."

"I - please gracious witch, I never made criticism!" Neric was frightened.

"Oh do not worry; one might find Volodya a little odd until one is used to him; he means well. He takes no offence at you wondering – and being polite enough not to comment – on him being a tactless clot."

"Was I? Sorry" said Volodya. "I think we need Professor Rebet to poison people who own such houses and do not keep them in good repair."

"Don't tempt me" said Jade. "I reckon I could poison them very well myself. Untraceably too" she added thoughtfully. "Excuse me; we appear to have trouble. Who are those men, Neric?"

"They are enforcers for the factory owners, noble Fraulein von Strang" said Neric.

Jade passed her stirrer to Sofie.

"Stir once when it turns black; do not let the flames get high" she said as she moved towards the newcomers, putting herself between them and the children and queuing goblins. There were seven of them.

One of the enforcers called out,

"What are you filthy disease-ridden creatures doing out of your houses? Get back inside or I'll URK!" he finished as he dangled from one ankle.

"Or you'll what, lowborn?" said Jade "They are out at OUR orders; to be cured. YOU have not brought a cure; YOU have not seen fit to alleviate their distress; and if you work for the factory owners THEY will be glad to have their work force back fit and healthy."

"And who the hell do you think you are, miss interference?" said another.

"I am the Baronin Von Strang, ugly one" said Jade "And YOU are a nuisance. You may get out of my presence the lot of you now; or I might remember that you seem to have free access to this street and yet do not feed your masters' dependants and turn you into something nutritious. Hog roast might yet be on the menu."

He paled at her noble name.

"You naughty school children will be in trouble when your head finds out about this" he said "If you don't pack up and leave I shall write to her in Durmstrang."

"Do" said Jade cordially "If your trotters are capable of using a pen."

Where he had stood was a squealing porker.

The rest fled.

The goblins looked frightened.

"They will surely not punish you for MY actions will they?" asked Jade.

"Probably, noble lady" said Neric.

Jade swore sulphurously in fourteen different languages, most of them dead.

"We meet that problem when the people are cured" said Bertel.

"And then we threaten to ruin the factory owners if they let it happen" said Lazlo "How do they expect people to work if they have no decent place to live? Goblins may be inferior to humans but there is no excuse to treat them worse than animals."

"Abominable!" agreed Professor Rebet "None could thrive or develop in such a place; Snape found his potioneer in England doubtless where conditions are better."

"Certainly in England Goblins and poor wizards live in much better conditions" said Jade "And any apartment owner who let his premises get into such a condition would be prosecuted; Lucius owns a number of blocks and he says an owner must continually check up on their agent to see they do not get greedy, at least once a year, and to see that all problems have been addressed. The Baddock family were prosecuted for permitting a continuance of rising damp and a crack in the plasterwork and were also forced to drop their rents since water and toilets were communal in the block they owned; Lucius blew the whistle on them. Mind you, if he'd been a friend of the family he'd have dropped them a word first; but Lucius has his malicious moments."

"Lucius Malfoy is an examiner for chanting in England is he not?" asked Professor Rebet "And a very important man I believe."

"Oh my grandsire is the richest wizard in the world" laughed Jade "I wonder if he has shares in any of the people that own this place? If he has I can write and ask him to interfere; Lucius likes goblins, he has a goblin mistress and a string of goblin step children and a selection of blonde half goblin kids to go with the brats of his wife and other two mistresses; he'd be a tart if he didn't have them all living with him."

This was for Neric's benefit and any other goblins who were listening; so that they know just HOW different things were in England.

"Excuse me, noble witch, but what is the life for this noble wizard's step children?" asked Neric.

"Well the oldest is taking the equivalent of ZB's this year at Hogwarts school; I think that there are currently four of them in school; no I lie, three; Lucius has thirty odd brats all told, and I think there are er, three humans at present in school too, almost enough for a Malfoy quidditch team except Erica's no good at quidditch. Gorbrin is, I believe, seeker for his school house and a prefect; he got scouted by Puddlemere United and turned it down because he plans to be an Auror – what is here called a Vehmgericht – and is very serious about his studies. He took his Potions and Transfigurations exams a year early and got an 'O' grade in both; Lucius was boasting about it. Lucius reckons he should get 'O's in most of the other ten exams he's doing too; and Lucius likes to boast about his kids. However! That's by the by; have we got everyone out who should be, and medicine in for everyone that needs it?"

"Yes noble witch; and glad we are to have someone who knows English ways and has compassion."

Jade shrugged.

"It is uncultured to be so rude as to fail to show compassion or to treat underlings so badly" she said. "There is a duty from the highest even to the lowest; such that any true hochgeborn should recognise, and that goes for care towards lowborn wizards also. This is NOT England and the equality of goblins and wizards hardly likely to occur; at least not in our lifetime. Do not look for that! It would but bring pogrums upon any that demanded it. Work with me towards such change as may occur and be content with that."

Jade caught Neric's eye; saw him work out that she meant that she could not say more; and saw his acceptance and a nod. He was not a stupid man and nor was he unduly greedy. He was a realist. And THAT was what they needed.

All the goblins were finally dosed; those who were illest showed the most dramatic improvements of course; and the young Durmstrangers had the embarrassing situation of mothers kneeling weeping to kiss their feet for the saving of children. Jade's friends swallowed distaste to follow her lead in holding small children to dose them. Traudl tried not to look too horrified when Jade thrust a toddler at her.

"Distaste because you know we are closely related to them, we part fey?" asked Jade quietly.

"I – what? Are we?"

"Goblins broke away from the fey; it's why everyone distrusts them; humans saw them at first as fey, and the highfey, who could not control their erstwhile servants, made sure to foster that distrust" said Jade. "Being closer to the highfey, we are more closely related to goblins than to house elves; who are as closely related on the other side."

"You don't find them distasteful" said Traudl half angrily "You've been lying!"

"I told you, I haven't told all the truth. You knew that from the first. You're angry because you don't want to be related to them. Hey, Katarina Nachtigall doesn't want to be related to Heinrich Quabbelig. It's no big deal. I thought you might be interested."

"I want to know all the truth about you."

Jade sighed.

"All right; I'll tell you – later. When we're back in school. I haven't got time now. I have to rehydrate this baby before she dies of that. Now you hold her and I'll pour fluids into her."

Traudl nodded. The baby was listless and almost lifeless; the disease cured but the child had refused to swallow fluids because of the swollen pustules in her throat. Jade carefully spooned in slightly sugared water a spoonful at a time; until the child was swallowing of her own accord then passed Traudl a feeder cup full of milk.

Traudl breathed again, and realising she had been holding her breath, waiting for the child to swallow. The little girl opened big dark eyes that filled with terror.

"Nefrita, why is she scared of me?" demanded Traudl.

"Keep your voice low and calm" said Jade "Because all she knows about witches and wizards is that they hurt people. It's all right Honigengel, Traudl will not hurt you; drink the good milk and get well. Mama is over there with thy brother."

"Mama?" said the baby.

"See I will move so you can see her" said Traudl.

"And I will see how your excellent little sister is doing with stew" said Jade.

Elfleda was coping with great aplomb, cooking up the bones for stock in one cauldron and boiling the chickens in there too while cooking the vegetables and cooked chicken meat in the other as soup, straining off the broth for the smallest and weakest.

"Scrape marrow out of the long bones too and put on bread for the older children" said Jade.

"Oh, can you eat it?" said Elfleda.

"I'll say; it's delicious" said Jade "And full of goodness too. Don't you know your Norse myths, when Thor killed his goats Gaptooth and Cracktooth and Loki tempts the peasant boy Thialfi to crack the bone for some marrow, and Thor made him come along as his servant because the goat whose shin he broke was lame when Thor brought them back to life?"

"I'd forgotten the story" said Elfleda. "It never really made sense."

"Well, shalt not take marrow for thyself mein Vöglein; for it must go to those that need it" said Jade "Shalt make thine own soup at home and eat it with toast spread with marrow and good dripping."

"Yes Fraulein Von Strang" said Elfleda obediently.

"We all learn much" said Leva, who was helping Elfleda.

"One should not despise all parts of the meat just because some parts are supposedly of better status than others" said Jade, who had been rescuing the giblets that Elfleda had discarded "These make good stock also, Vöglein and I will take out the liver for the small ones."

The schoolchildren ate too of good hearty stew and toast when feeding all the rest; and took a well deserved rest.

"And what now, Nefrita?" asked Agata Baksó "We can hardly stay here overnight."

"I wanted to see if these factory owners took any action; they are doubtless also the landlords of these disgraceful buildings. I would not see these goblins punished for our actions."

"They may be waiting until we go" said Bertel "Why do not some of us stay and deal with them after the majority leave?"

"Excellent idea" said Jade. "Indeed why don't we all leave and then us oldest ones apparate back? Except perhaps Traudl and Volodya; they are not I think ready for extreme violence. Bertel, it does not scare you or Lazlo, does it?"

Bertel shook his head.

"I too will fight those who betray their blood; I despise goblins but I do not see a need to keep them thus" said Ritter.

"And I will fight" said Cacilia.

"Good; Traudl and Volodya to see the little ones back with Madam Bacsó and Herr Rebet" said Jade.

They filed out, and Madam Bacsó handed out bottles of prophylactic to willing hands; and as they passed down the street, Jade caught hands with her friends and smoothly apparated back into the Kobboldstrasse, covering the sound of their apportation with her own elf-blood abilities.

They did not have to wait long.

A couple of dozen wizards with whips and sticks burst into the street from the other end.

"Now we'll see who takes orders from whom!" cried the leader.

In a flash of green light he turned avocado green, grew wriggling spider legs, became jelly boned and wriggled under the tickling curse.

"Donner und Blitzen, Nefrita, I thought you'd hurled the killing curse there for a moment!" said Cacilia.

"One of Draco's spells; Avocado Kedavra" shrugged Jade. "Come on; let's get creative."

With Jade's drilling of her friends in the shield charm there was little chance of them taking damage from the semi educated, vicious men; Jade did not bother to get her wand out, but whistled a curious little tune glancing at three to set them dancing to a bizarre combination of the tarantellegra curse and the honky-tonk twinkletoes curse, dancing the polka rather wildly with their feet playing Strauss in a way that would have made the composer apoplectic had he heard it.

Jade's friends duly jinxed a couple each of the others, and Jade moved on to finish off the rest, hoisting them in two groups into the air by the ankles and dropping the tickling curse on them for good measure.

There was very little as humiliating as being dangled by one ankle even without giggling helplessly from being tickled. Jade though it quite horrible that one of her captives visibly physically enjoyed the stimulus, though he burned scarlet with mortification over it. She tried hard not to look.

Some things were too gross.

And his underwear could do with washing anyway.

"Achtung" said Jade to the green spokesman, releasing him from the tickling curse so he could give her his full attention "Your employers are scum. This street and all its inhabitants are under the protection of Durmstrang school. They are not to be bullied. Any owners of the buildings who put them in good repair and behave as though they had at least pretensions to be hochgeboren even though they strive fruitlessly on the scale of development to approach flobberworms for their culture, pleasantness and personal habits will please us. All others will, ultimately, be ruined and their businesses taken over; they are warned. We will know what happens here; because we will be taking with us a goblin boy and a goblin girl to be page to the boys and maid to the girls who will receive without fail an owl bearing a message from their family to the effect that all is well. If that owl fails to arrive, or if ritual magic performed on the message shows it to have been written under duress, then we go directly to the source of the trouble and start to get SERIOUS in our magic. And if one of our correspondents IS placed under duress, believe me there are worse things than the entrail expelling curse. Have you ever seen someone turned inside out slowly? No? Well, I was raised in England so I've learned a thing or two from seeing what the Deatheaters got up to under Voldemort; because believe me, Gerhardt Grindelwald is a pussy cat next to Voldemort. Do I make myself pellucidly clear?"

He was shuddering; which did horrible things to his jellied form.

"Yes Fraulein" he said.

"Good; you may dejinx yourselves" said Jade.

They all looked horrified.

"They don't know how" said Lazlo.

"Damnit, I keep forgetting how ignorant the hoi polloi are" said Jade, flipping a negligent hand and returning all to normal. "Get out; and stay out."

They went at as fast a walk as they could without losing all dignity.

"Who are you taking, Fraulein?" asked Neric respectfully.

"Volunteers" said Jade laconically. "If they do not have literate parents they must designate one who is literate to write to them."

Neric looked relieved.

"I am glad the noble witch realises not all are literate" he said.

"And that is a disgrace too; perhaps we shall be able to train the two younglings we take that they may come back and teach basic literacy and arithmantic skills and simple potion brewing" said Jade "Pepperup potion, and this easy brew to cure the black fever for example; contraceptive draughts so your women are not weakened having a baby every year to the detriment of their health and that of the babies."

Neric knelt to kiss her feet.

"You do much for us!"

"I wish you wouldn't do that" said Jade "You a grown man and a leader of men; we are just youths who see that there are things wrong and are determined to try to make things right. You are our ally, Neric. Now I pray you, call forth those that would volunteer; we will pick those too young to make much difference working for their families."

Neric stared in dumb gratitude; she knew everything!

"I – I would suggest my daughter" he said "Fyra is hard working and quick to learn; and I am literate and so is she."

"Excellent" said Jade "I shall certainly consider her most deeply. But I will not be unfair and pick one without seeing all who might wish to come. Though I think you have a better job and can better afford to lose her, and that too I shall take into account."

Fyra was a bright eyed child, who managed a tentative smile. She was the most forthcoming of the little girls aged between eight and ten; and Jade nodded.

"Yes; Fyra we shall have" she said.

The small boy who had managed to attach a notice saying 'kick me' to the back of one of the departing wizards was also an obvious choice; and Neric introduced the boy, Alrik, and his father Torik.

"Torik works in the bank" said Nerik "He will be willing to risk working for change."

Torik nodded.

"If this is no short lived gimmick, begging your pardon, Lady."

"It isn't" said Jade. "It will take as long as it takes; but I plan to buy out all the factories and houses here and in other places too. Are you a financial adviser, or can you put me in the way of one?"

His ears went up.

"They let goblins be financial advisers in England noble witch?" he asked astonished.

Jade blinked.

"I didn't know there were any financial advisers who weren't goblins" she said "Nobody who is anybody is without a goblin business manager. Well, I suppose if it is done differently here, I had better not ask for a goblin business manager, or he won't be taken any notice of. What a nuisance!"

"There is a young noble wizard at the bank where I work who has been in trouble for being civil to us goblins who has spoken of trying to get freelance work" said Torik "His name is Herr Ruprecht Schutzmann."

"Does he have a little sister called Gisela?" asked Cacilia

"Yes, noble witch, he does have a sister" said Torik "He speaks of her; she is at school."

"She is a fag of mine" said Jade "Because I know the girl she used to fag for, who wanted her protected. She is a good hard working girl; she was one of the younger ones here helping us. I will speak to her of her brother and perhaps you will ask him to write to me. Here" she conjured a business card from mid air and passed to him.

"I shall do so most gracious witch" said Torik.

"As for you, young Alrik" said Jade "You will NOT make the men you run errands for into objects of derision by playing tricks on others; if you MUST break out in mischief, confine it to the likes of apple pie beds for your own men or those of their fags as you will meet; any trouble and we shall not be allowed to keep you and teach you more; do you understand and more to the point will you obey?"

He grinned unabashed.

"Yes noble Fraulein and yes" he said. "The noble Fraulein is most thoughtful to ask if I obey as well as if I understand."

"I remember being your age" said Jade dryly.

Madam Bacsó raised an eyebrow at the appearance of goblin servants.

"The insurance for the rest" said Jade "They will have a message every week from their fathers; and so if anything is done against the goblins in the street we will know by the non-arrival of an owl or by the arrival of an owl bearing a message of woe. Far easier to force the landlords and factory owners to comply by making them see that we have this thought out – I sent them message that we should do this you see – than to have to react to them AFTER they have hurt our goblins that we're stealing from them and maybe shaken their faith in us. Being nice once is not enough; we need to commit to take care of them. And when those of us with the wealth to do so have bought out the whole lot, we shall. And then we start on the factories employing human workers to improve them; and when we have a huge industrial base at our back and its workers ready to rise for us, we've as good as won – because we all pull together. Unlike the current factory owners who, I wager, pull the way that enriches themselves only."

"Clever" said Madam Bacsó "You have thought it through very well my dear."

"I copy Lucius; who actually doesn't notice if someone's human or goblin any more I don't think. He's more interested in whether they can do their job or not I suppose" said Jade. "These children are the children of slightly higher class goblins; if they prove clever enough we might wish to win more support by sponsoring them to Prince Peak when they are old enough. Start that educated elite I was mentioning. The girl is the daughter of that Neric I was getting to help organise stuff; he's a foreman at a factory, and well respected by the other goblins. A good one to start with."

"I agree" said Madam Bacsó. "Yes; see what they can learn. We do not want to send ones who will fail; it will not help our cause."

"Quite so" said Jade.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Jade looked around at her assembled sixth form supporters, and Madam Bacsó and Professor Rebet. She had asked the head to convene a meeting in her office including the dour potions master; and had run her wand around to check that no scrying devices were in place.

"Traudl has asked some pertinent questions" said Jade "I told you all – my peer group anyway – that I had not told you all the truth. As things are starting to hot up the time has come for me to share truth; and I apologise in advance for misleading people since it was the only way I could get to actually meet people and have you all know ME without prejudice. ODESSA is a dangerously futile organisation that is bringing eastern European wizardry into disrepute and unless brought down is going to pave the way for a war that is partly rebellion of those ODESSA despises, partly factionism within ODESSA itself and partly bids for power by opportunists. I had to be able to explain this while you were LISTENING to me not resenting an outsider more than you could be brought to see the truth. Now I have shown you what is going on I would prefer to be open and tell you that Nefrita Von Strang is a fiction."

"What do you mean?" asked Madam Bacsó sharply "I have checked your blood; you ARE a Von Strang!"

Jade curtseyed.

"I carry Von Strang blood; because I undertook a blood sharing ritual with my adopted brother, Erich Von Strang Snape. I am Jade Snape; my age is as I have declared because I had been put up a year at Prince Peak because I was good enough. I used a complex chant to make the form of Nefrita Von Strang that I can wear like an animagus form. I tell ya, getting rid of the scar was a very ticklish piece of work!" she shrugged into her normal appearance.

"It's not that different really" said Traudl.

"No; all Malfoys are as alike as any two peas in a pod" said Jade "Minor differences in hair colour and eye colour perhaps, but if you've seen one Malfoy you've seen them all. But Agata, could I have come to you as Jade Snape and asked you to let me be in your school in disguise or otherwise to explain to you how you were being used, how the school has been used?"

"No" said Madam Bacsó. "I do not now know whether to believe what you have told me."

"It's true enough" shrugged Jade "I have tried never to give a lie direct. The only thing I have lied about is feeling distaste for goblins; the girl in my year at Prince Peak who I spoke about, Professor Rebet, she is a friend of mine. Her brother was first goblin in Hogwarts and took six NEWTs; admittedly two were only 'E' grades but that is still respectable."

"More than respectable" said Rebet dryly.

"I suppose so" said Jade candidly "I'm used to Malfoys taking ridiculous numbers of exams and one compares him to his friends, my cousins the Malfoy twins. But if a goblin performs to such a satisfactory standard it can be seen – and Lucius picked up on this point – that despising them as inferiors promptly becomes a fallacy and rather silly. I do NOT however expect to see goblins in Durmstrang; it just isn't going to happen. And I know some people do find goblins distasteful to look at. I'm used to having them around so I don't really notice them as different; but I see no reason not to go ahead with the idea of having an educated goblin elite as THEIR upper class that would help to ease goblins into a more modern way of thinking; because the goblins we saw were much like their English counterparts of several hundred years ago; frankly rather primitive on the whole. They could NOT enjoy the benefits of the equality English goblins enjoy for the simple reason that they would abuse it; and make fools of themselves and receive due punishment for contumely. They aren't in the least like English goblins. They would not be able to succeed in Durmstrang, especially not until the influence of it being mucked with by Gellert Grindelwald and later the Deatheater Karkaroff be thrown off. But I suppose I should first find out whether you want to tell me to get lost now you know I've been living a lie; and if any of you do, I'm afraid I'm going to drop a compulsion on you not to talk about it."

"Not make us forget?" asked Bertel.

Jade shrugged.

"Isn't that a worse lie? I keep telling you I don't lie to friends."

"Then for that I stand by you" said Bertel.

"You are kind to my little sister and the babes; I stand by you" said Traudl "I don't much like gobins but…..babes are babes, and I WANTED that little one I was holding to live; she….she reminded me of my sickly little sister….you did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Yes" said Jade "I hoped you would see what I meant."

"I support you; I think really you do not have to ask any of your friends" said Cacilia

"You did not have to heal Wencelada" said Rodica "That was hard work; as I saw in your face while you did it. And you did not know her or me. Anyone who will put themselves out to heal another is a person of ultimate compassion and worth supporting even if feeling a little betrayed by the deception."

"Thank you Rodica; I appreciate your honesty" said Jade.

"She always promised to tell us some day, Rodi" said Volodya.

"Agreed" said Lazlo "Else I had not forgiven the deception even if I agreed with the cause."

"That is true" said Rodica.

"Ritter?" asked Jade.

"You have shown me many truths" said Ritter "And I am ashamed of things I have done following Nachtigall – and he and his father tell greater lies than any you have – and I am ashamed to see that underlings like those goblins are treated as my father would be ashamed to treat chickens. I follow; because you were honest that you had not told the truth in its entirety. And because you are right that change is needed. No TRUE nobleman could contemplate the plight of those goblins with equanimity; it is a betrayal of our Blood not to house them decently."

"I think you'll find that the owners of their accommodation and the factory owners are far from being nobles; but, like all middle classes, wizard, muggle or goblin, want to push themselves UP by pushing others DOWN" said Jade "And those of you, my friends, who were not born of the upper classes can ennoble yourselves by being ladies and gentlemen by inclination if not birth and show that you are above such petty-minded and low down shenanigans. They reason that if goblins are denied contraceptive draughts – they are, you know – they'll breed enough to replace the ones dead early of disease and squalid living conditions. What we need to do though is to persuade the ignorant classes that goblins do not live in such a way by choice; for I suspect many believe that goblins are naturally squalid."

"I should have believed goblins naturally squalid had not it been made clear those apartments were not owned by them" said Madam Bacsó "I thought they lived in houses traditionally held by their ancestors as most wizards do."

"They take over the rent from their ancestors" said Jade "But you will find also, Agata, that poor wizards also rent their apartments and I'm willing to bet a lot of them don't live in much better conditions; and THAT has to be addressed at exactly the same rate as addressing the needs of the goblins or, rightly enough, there will be resentment towards re-housed goblins that would lead to racial hatred and war. It's a delicate balance. We must be fair to the poverty stricken humans too. The ones who have not been to school and are unlikely to be able to send their children to school. Scholarships perhaps for their most talented offspring might be arranged under sponsorship of those of us who are wealthy could be looked at too. Agata, do you agree that what I have said to you at all times makes sense? Do you still support me?"

"I do; not least for my own ambitions as you suggested; unless Jade Snape thinks it now a bad idea" said Agata looking narrowly at Jade.

"I think that your personal ambitions are a necessary drive to get this sorted out" said Jade "There is much in you that reminds me of Lucius; and I'm very fond of Lucius. That the school is the driving force for change and you its glorious leader sits just fine with me. I don't really want any limelight; I'll take it if I have to, but like Harry Potter I'd just as soon be left alone to do research. I've gotten an awful lot of really exciting academic researches on right now, in potioneering and in ancient runes and really ODESSA is the greatest nuisance for coming between me and it, though I suppose if it hadn't existed I'd never have been here with the opportunities to look at different texts to those I've seen elsewhere. Sorry."

Rebet gave a harsh laugh.

"Now if I needed convincing to put support behind you, that would convince me!" he said "You're no revolutionary; you just want education for anyone capable of taking it and you, like me, resent those who are incapable but who can wag some hocheborn tail of ancestors to get in here."

"Yes" said Jade "But their fees WOULD help subsidise another scholarship or two; at least they do at Hogwarts and Prince Peak. Rich fools have their uses; to be well fleeced."

"Time enough in the future to address that" said Agata, not sure how much she wanted peasants in her school "How do we throw off the influence of those who have infected this school with blight?"

"It's a simple matter of respect ma'am" said Jade "That standing for the staff is but one expression of the same. If all students are assured in the belief that they will receive identical treatment regardless of birth or title in terms of discipline and marks in class that is a good start; I believe you endeavour to do so, but if you have seized some power outside the school you will be in a better position to face out those parents who may hold title but who have forgotten what true nobility means. I would be inclined to institute a prefect system; with prefects picked not on their birth but on who you find most responsible; and let them be both your eyes and ears in the school – not as spies, but to alert you if they think there may be any serious discipline problem, to tell you if they believe a child is more unhappy than simple homesickness should account for – so that you have a closer connection to the children. And you can then tell a prefect to take such measures as they feel necessary to remove a fag from an abusive fellow; or drop a word to the wise to break up mischief before it gets to the point that official intervention becomes necessary and such things as that. Problems that may get to the point of requiring heavy discipline, as would make many children feel antagonised and so likely to be MORE of a problem may be nipped in the bud before it gets to that point by prefects. Having nice interfering kids like the Eulenspeigels is handy too, because they would not dream of going to a Professor but might drop a word to a favourite senior or prefect that, say, they think a child in their class is being sexually used by an adult at home or by a senior here – you look shocked, Agata; didn't you know plenty of kids are unhappy because they have parents who beat on them or who do worse? Erich Von Strang saw his father murder his mother and was beaten on regularly, so don't tell me it only happens to English kids. And the levels of abuses to children there never came out before there was the MSHG; set up to be earnestly boring about muggle literature to hide those who were prepared to fight against Voldemort. As the English Customs Club hides us here. It is the nature of the English clubs that there is equality within the club and the self discipline to be properly respectful to Professors and Prefects outside it; and any problem may be aired, from a query about the justice of in school discipline to the fear a child has of returning home because of what is going to happen. Dad ended up with several wards because of the cans of worms that got opened that way. Agata I fear you are an innocent about the wickedness in this world; the selfishness of some parents that can lead to horrible injury if a child is caught between their quarrelling; of the neglect of one child less favoured than others in a family; of the deliberate cruelty some parents can be capable of. It is not dependant on social rank but cuts all across the board."

"Although I faintly resent being called innocent, if such things are happening and I have not known about it I will admit the description may be accurate" said Agata, horrified. "I – I have let the school run as it has always been run; but I know there is more talent, seemingly, in English schools and I want to know why."

"When people feel crushed and depressed they do not perform to the best of their ability" said Jade "And those here high born enough and happy enough at home not to have been crushed and depressed do not receive the competition from their peer group who have been bullied throughout school. I do not approve of a fagging system – though a kid attached herself to me at Prince Peak and firmly assured me that she was my fag; made a nuisance of herself, but she had need for reassurance, so I gritted my teeth and smiled happily at her best efforts to set my room on fire and get shoe polish everywhere and so on – where was I? Oh yes, disapproving of fagging; but here it is custom and so long as there are safeguards like it being forbidden say, to order a fag to do something that breaks the rules that is enforced on the principal not the fag and the prefects watch for other abuses, then it should be all right. Like I took Desolina Uccello from Nachtigall because her little sister told me that Desolina was afraid of Nachtigall's sexual advances on her. Have you not noticed that with our self help group fighting bullies that grades in class have already risen?"

"That is true" said Agata. "Save in Hedda Schrempf's class."

"She's not exactly what you might call a real teacher though, is she?" said Jade "I've a mind, if you don't mind, Agata, to kill her when I've finished my ZH's and take her job. Possibly as part of my cover recruited into ODESSA ; that will depend on what happens."

"I could care less" said Agata "She has never been a satisfactory pupil; and she is a most unsatisfactory teacher. It would have been impolitic to let you kill her during the Triwizard of course; and embarrassing."

"Quite so; I was perhaps out of line calling duel on her then though I did not THEN intend to kill her. I did not know at the time that she used the cruciatus curse freely even on babes of eleven" said Jade "Else I might have tried to force her to attack me and damn the consequences to your school. I don't always do the wisest thing; I get mad sometimes and react according to my conscience not according to good common sense or even strictly according to courtesy. Sorry."

"She uses it on first years? I did not know this!" said Agata.

"She has used it on our fags and then lashed out on the next first year to irritate her because our fags hold the shield charm" said Cacilia "If you did not know that explains why she has not reported them for refusing to submit to her brand of punishment; she still fears you."

"Good" said Agata grimly. "I was ordered to let her throw the killing curse at Harry Potter when she was still at school, in a duelling competition; to test if it would work on him. I found her an embarrassment then too."

"Well, I shall deal with her in due course" shrugged Jade. "I don't much like killing people; but sometimes there are those people who are a danger to everyone else and something needs to be done about it. And I don't think returning her to childhood would work; I think there might actually be some chemical imbalance in her mind that has no conscience about hurting and indeed actually brings her pleasure. And I don't know how to fix it."

"I think some of us are a little relieved to know there are things you do NOT know" said Rebet.

"Oh there's loads I don't know; it's the compensation for being stuck at school another year that there's new research to do" said Jade "But I do so miss my husband and our baby" she sniffed hard.

Cacilia put an arm round Jade.

"But you're a virgin" said Agata "I tested that; and when have you had time to have a baby?"

"Nefrita Von Strang is a virgin" said Jade "It's part of the transfiguration. I was pregnant through the second and third tasks; I got wed at Yule. I'm very good at gaze repellent spells. I was NOT happy to have to deal with ruddy Snargaluffs though. If I hadn't shared with Lionel I'd probably have incinerated the damn things."

"Is HE your husband?" asked Traudl.

"No way! My husband is one of the first cured werewolves; he volunteered to be a test subject while dad was perfecting it. And THAT is what I most want out of ODESSA ; access to the werewolves to cure them. The few that have not been spent in futile attack. You can't reason with a werewolf in wolf form; we had to kill people we might not have had any real quarrel with; and I rather resent ODESSA for that, for sending people so afflicted without telling them what the mission was. Wulf had no idea he was sent against a school! He was captured you see. It started to shake his belief in ODESSA ; the Dementor attack eroded any other loyalties he might have had. So he came over. We rescued his little girl – she's now fourteen – who was born a werewolf because they were kept in ignorance about that too. Kind of makes the normal monthly curse look a little mundane. And for them and their unwilling wolfy colleagues I decided to be the one to do this" Jade sniffed again. "So future werewolves can be cured and be free; and maybe we can even eliminate lycanthropy entirely!"

"I will certainly aid your father with creating more of this cure" said Rebet.

"Thank you Professor; he'll be glad of another volunteer" said Jade "And no doubt he'd love to host a symposium of potioneers with you and Con Hardbroom and sundry others some day soon. Including cousin Gorbrin, goblin stepson of Lucius, who was using Libatious Borage to brew when he was ten years old to make potions to help support his family. He took an 'O' grade in his OWL a year early last year."

"A very talented youth!" said Rebet "If there is such talent amongst goblin kind I have no objection to teaching them; certainly far less objection than to teaching some of the dunderheads I have at the moment!"

"I'm not taking goblins" said Agata firmly.

"Perhaps, sir, you might test some out to see if they warrant a place at Prince Peak" said Jade. "However, as you are all good enough to accept me for who I am, I think we should return quietly to our duties and await the next move from Von Frettchen; who is bound to stick his nose in further to see how he can use the talented Nefrita Von Strang for his own greater good. I should like to turn him; he is a gentleman after all and has the concept of Noblesse Oblige. He is wasted in ODESSA . But we shall see what HE does next. Thank you for your time ladies and gentlemen; I think it's almost supper time."

"Don't forget to put back Nefrita; you're still Jade" said Cacilia.

"Thanks; I had forgotten" said Jade.

Cacilia laughed.

"And that is why we are happy to accept your deception perhaps; that you are so devastatingly honest including about your own faults and omissions" she said.

At Durmstrang only the fifth and the two sixth forms would be going to the Yule Ball; the fourth were exempt, though they might accept invitations from older pupils. Jade pointed out to her group that it worked out very well, being four girls and four boys so they might all partner each other and there no real problem about who was with whom. Though it was half a term away, the build up to the Yule Ball seemed to pervade the school atmosphere here as it did at Hogwarts.

"Not that there is any point trying to chat you up since you are married" said Bertel.

"'Fraid not" said Jade. "Besides Bertel, you'd not like me as a girlfriend; as a friend and mentor you accept me being bossy. For a girlfriend and later wife you would prefer a girl who thinks you are wonderful who hangs on your every word and that isn't me."

"I demand to dance only with Nefrita because she is the only one with a perfect sense of rhythm" said Volodya.

"With the arrhythmic clomping the majority of the oafs dancing will do that echoes through the floor you'll scarcely notice" said Jade dryly. "I see that it doesn't matter, by the way, what year the ball starts for; there's always people making fools of themselves."

"It is a bit of a disease, having to pick a partner" sighed Cacilia "And at an age when everything to do with the opposite sex is so embarrassing!"

The fifth were making the usual fools of themselves with giggling girls and tongue-tied boys; Jade recognised the symptoms. The boys were making forays to the small wizarding village that served the school, purchasing flowers and chocolates. The sixth form contingent of the English Customs Hobby Club had been for a brisk walk enjoying the crisp snow on a sunny Saturday and on their return were amusing themselves building a snowman and watching the manoeuvring as would-be lovers avoided asking the question first.

"Why is a small first year going to the village? Isn't it out of bounds?" asked Jade.

"It is indeed" said Cacilia. "OY! ERDMUTE NACHTNATTER! come here!"

The small child came obediently over.

"What do you think you're doing heading into the village?" demanded Jade "It's out of bounds for you verminous first years."

"Please Fraulein, my man asked me to go and buy him a box of sweeties; he's in the fourth but he hopes to be invited to the ball if he can show his regard to an older girl" said Erdmute.

"For whom do you fag?" asked Jade.

"For Ignaz Von Frettchen, Fraulein" said Erdmute.

"I see; he is out of line to order you to break the rules" said Jade "Return to him immediately and tell him you have been caught; and tell him to come here now."

"I think he will not be pleased Fraulein" said Erdmute.

"Will he hit you or anything for being the bearer of such though you are ordered by one of the upper sixth?" asked Jade.

"I do not THINK so" said the child "But he will not be pleased. He may not come."

"Tell him he has five minutes to come or he will be brought; unless he is ill?"

"No Fraulein he is quite well."

Ignaz Von Frettchen did NOT turn up; but the sixth did see the child heading back to the village.

Cacilia moved to intercept her.

"He has sent you again? Why does he not go himself?"

"He does not like to go out in the cold Fraulein" said Erdmute "He orders me; I MUST obey his orders, mustn't I?"

"Not when they conflict with school rules" said Cacilia "You give me the money he has given you for his sweeties; I will return it to him and you get lost with other small types."

"Oh, I am to buy it from my money and he will reimburse me!" said Erdmute. Cacilia sniffed.

"Then just get lost, kid, and don't break bounds" she said.

Jade meanwhile wandered around a circle chanting to herself. The chant was not complimentary towards ferrets in general; and as she walked she traced beside her a complex arithmantic formula in the snow with heat from her wand. As she finished young Von Frettchen appeared in the circle with a loud CRAC! Falling in a heap from what had been a reclining position.

"I sent for you" said Jade "If you don't come on your own poor weak little feet, I must bring you. Your fag says you are not ill; wherefore then do you send her to the village, breaking bounds, when you could go yourself?"

He stared.

"Why should I? It's what fags are for! It's cold out here, I want to go in!"

"Actually it's not what fags are for" said Jade "The purpose of fags is to enable exam students to be freed from silly little chores so that they have more time to concentrate on their work; but such is much abused. And you are surely aware that for little Erdmute you were telling her to break bounds and break the school rules?"

"Oh who cares? Get out of my way; I'm cold! And my uncle will hear about this; he's governor of the school you know!" the eight older ones were surrounding him.

"I know Eduard Von Frettchen" said Jade "And I know that he is a nobleman who goes to any lengths needful to protect his dependants; because he is aware of the obligations of nobility. And you will stay here in the cold until you answer by what right you think you can send a child to break bounds rather than take your own short fat and lazy little legs down to the village on your own errands?"

"I didn't see why I should be bothered; I don't like the cold" said Ignaz Von Frettchen sulkily.

"Sheer laziness then" said Jade "Yes; your uncle WILL hear of this because I shall make full report of how unworthy his heir proves to be. Now get out; and never let me hear of you sending a child to break the school rules again; nor should you ever be so ignoble as to expect a child to use her own pocket money rather than sending her with your purse. You are no ornament to the family Von Frettchen. And be pleased to get off lightly."

Young Von Frettchen stumbled off, shivering to run back indoors as fast as he might.

Jade went to see Madam Bacsó

"I'm not about to name names Madam Bacsó" she said, using the head's name formally indicating that it was school business "But we just caught an older youth sending a first year into the village feeling that as his fag she had to do as he said. I would suggest you might want to remind the school that a fag cannot be ordered to break the rules; and that the fag system is only there to relieve the exam students of onerous little chores that you cannot expect the elves to undertake on top of their other duties. Respect towards the fags should be equal to the fags' respect to their fellows."

Madam Bacsó nodded.

"It is part of a culture of contempt towards those weaker than themselves even though that is only because of age" she said. "I hear one of your goblin brats managed to put Heinrich Nactigall in his place by the way."

Jade grinned.

"Clever kid, Alrik" she said "Herr Quabbelig tried to order him to do something and Alrik bowed with exquisite politeness – we've been drilling both kids – and said, 'I regret, noble wizard as you are not the one paying my wages it would displease the one who is if I undertook tasks for others' all quite respectful and yet so insolent in deeper ways than Herr Quabbelig can even appreciate! And Nachtigall uncertain who pays the kid and so uncertain whether he dared clout him or not and decided – for the first wise act since I've known him – to not. He wants to pay me back for existing still of course and I have no doubt he'll try; and will over reach himself. He doesn't touch my fags; he's afraid I might turn him inside out."

"Could you?" asked Agata Bacsó.

"I haven't got a clue" said Jade cheerfully. "I doubt I'd want to; if I'm going to kill someone I'd rather it was clean. But HE doesn't know that and he'd rather not risk it. I can think of plenty of things to do to him with more amusement value than that anyway."

Madam Bacsó made announcement at supper that a report in general terms had reached her concerning the order given to a fag to break bounds. She waxed irritably upon the subject of ordering a smaller child to break the school rules and re-iterated that the fag system was for the convenience of examination students and the equal convenience of the smooth running of the castle that elves were not used for minor and trivial chores. She further threatened that if there were any more such abuses that came to her notice, she would ban all fagging save for the upper sixth and maybe ban fagging altogether.

That was NOT popular and much was said by the upper school on the lack of wisdom of one who was so blatant in the disregard for the rules through his or her fag that the head should be so unpleasant upon the subject.

Xanthippe giggled and said that next year, when their Cacilia had gone it might be worthwhile seeing how irritated they could make the head by manipulating one of the current fifth into abusing the system and then watching them all squirm when the system got banned. And bearing in mind the hopeless lot that the lower sixth were, her twin actually nodded gloomy approval!

Next year the twins would be in the fourth; and the English Customs Hobby Club was arranging for the fourth and the fifth of next year to inherit the younger fags, so the situation was unlikely to arise; but Xanthe conceded that Xanthippe had a point.

Jade kept her word and sent an owl with a message to Herzog Eduard Von Frettchen; along the lines that when the boy was home for Yule she would hope that his uncle might drop a hint or two of the obligations to underlings due from one of his birth that he should have known even if others of his age knew no better than to send fags on errands to make them break the rules over something so trivial as not being able to bothered to follow his own amatory pursuits.

It was a terse and disapproving missive; and Jade added scornfully that she might not have written to get the boy into trouble had he not seemed to think that if he wrote on his own account, his uncle might back him up. Which, as Jade pointed out, would only be likely if he wrote in such a way as to be presenting a tissue of lies.

As Ignaz DID write to his uncle in an impassioned plea to stop him being pushed around and tortured by the older ones in being made to stand outside in the cold and answer stupid questions because they were jealous of him having secured a fag at his age and did not want him to use the said fag's services, Von Frettchen was not pleased. And if the boy had not lied outright, Von Frettchen knew evasion when he read it!

He wrote back to his nephew adjuring him to read some of the school rules in the library and see if he might find any clause where it justified the use of a fag to break these rules. Eduard Von Frettchen was not pleased with his heir; he was of the opinion that he was spoilt by his mother and sufficiently ignored by his father to make him less a child of the aristocracy than the child of various elves smothered more than mothered by erratic and too foolishly fond affection.

In which he was perfectly correct.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The man from the ministry introduced himself as Herr Sternschüppe and explained that those who would be in age by the end of the year who wished to learn Apparation should report to him in the great hall; and that he would too be running examinations for those too young to take the apparating licence the year before.

Nefrita Von Strang had no licence to apparate so Jade signed up for the exam. She had no desire to go through the tedium of lessons for something so elementary; even though her own group had been taught by Percy Weasley as an accredited apparating teacher who had made life a little more interesting by instructing his students to apparate on and off sheets of newspaper rather than in and out of hoops, using headlines as focus points. Many of his class had been quite competent in Jade's year in any case, since he had the Prowling Marauders; and Erwin and Jem had both picked up enough theory that they found it easy enough too. Jade had had her licence since the day after her seventeenth birthday.

She covered the exercises set with ease and was congratulated by Herr Sternschüppe; and being nosy, hung about to watch what sort of a mess the lower sixth made of their lessons; and whether German efficiency stretched to apportation training.

Each student was issued with printed instructions:

be aware of your own body and its extent.

be aware of your surroundings and how your body fits in it.

consider with care where you wish to go.

imagine your body in the place where you wish to go.

Concentrate on moving your body directly to the place where you wish to go.

check your body on arrival to make sure you have imagined all of it in the right place.

Jade was moderately impressed; it WAS more efficient that being told to remember the three C's which she could not remember as they seemed pretty fatuous to her and as apportation was so easy anyway; and that if it did NOT come easily, remembering this clear check list seemed more sensible than concentrating, consolidating and whatever the other one was.

The Bosnian girl Velma Zukic, that Jade had not had much to do with, seemed to be managing well enough, and got herself out of her hoop on only the second attempt; and Jaromir Frolik, the brother of one of Nachtigall's satellites did well enough too. Pompilia Constantinescu managed to leave her fingernails behind. That was not unusual; Jade had seen no end of foolish mistakes in apparating and had disrupted the proceedings in the past at Hogwarts to pay back the bullying of older siblings of a friend of hers; and she grinned as she recalled messing with the heads of the Goodchild twins so they lost concentration and became involved intimately with the school floor harp. It had been a mildly dangerous prank and she half disapproved of herself for laughing still; but she knew she could easily have sorted them out if the faculty had been unable to do so.

It was Claudette Reynault who managed the mistake of the day. Herr Sternschüppe came over to try to encourage her fruitless attempts and Claudette scowled at him, concentrated; and put in power.

Some of the examiner reappeared in her hoop while the greater part of him fell to the ground screaming.

Jade apparated smoothly over to where Claudette was squealing in shock with one of his hands wriggling feebly out of her own shoulder, cast healing spells and reapparated his hand off the Belgian girl's shoulder onto its own wrist and the arm back onto his body and the foot back onto his leg, searched absently for his ear and returned that to his head too.

Jade's smoothness was such that the examiner was whole in less time than it takes to tell; and then she apparated him to the potions dungeon without pause and called,

"Professor Rebet, this poor man needs a blood replenishing potion!"

"Most people go to the hospital wing" said Professor Rebet, leaving his second years to fetch a potion.

"Yes, but the nurse is a bit wet and might goggle at me like an imbecile trying to aspire to idiocy" said Jade.

"I am going to pretend I did not hear you say that in front of a class of younglings" said Rebet severely.

"You didn't hear what I said, you brats" said Jade "And I apologise for being rude about a staff member in front of small and loathsome creatures."

"My dear Fraulein!" gasped Herr Sternschüppe after swallowing the potion "A remarkable piece of work! Fast and accurate; have you considered going for a career as a de-splincher with the ministry?"

"Oh I'm a potioneer by trade" said Jade "It wasn't exactly a difficult thing to do; the trick was doing it fast enough so you didn't lose too much blood. Feeling better? Good, good; will you go to the staff room for a quick schnapps or do you want to finish the lesson?"

"Oh I think I'd better finish the lesson" said Herr Sternschüppe "And er, thank you again!"

Heinrich Nactigall had not forgiven Nefrita; and laid his plans accordingly. He wrote certain letters; and gave such details as he knew of her habits. Though Nachtigall was too idle to get up himself to try to spy on the early morning runs of the ECHC he sent Vladimir Chernykrov to do so. Vladimir was quickly caught by Jade and sent about his business; but he was able to report that the mad English female took her disciples running in the countryside when the weather permitted.

Thus, one fine morning, the ECHC was confronted by a group of some half a dozen ruffians with goblin-made muskets. Two of them were in fact villainous looking goblins.

"If you kids just hand over one called Nefrita Von Strang we'll not hurt the rest" said the scarred human heading the group.

"You could only hurt six at most even if you hit" said Bertel coldly.

"True" said Jade "But I am Nefrita Von Strang; I would wish to know what quarrel you may have with me; I know of no quarrel that I have with you for I recognise none of you" she added, absently apparating mud into the barrels of the guns, for the snow had blown away in the winds overnight.

"Oh nothing personal Fraulein; but you've pissed someone off" said one of the goblins

"Yeah; and we gotta see you punished; and there's a troll waiting for his nookie; but if yer just comes quiet and don't make a fuss, chances are you might survive it." Said the leading human.

"GET them!" shouted Leva "How DARE they!"

The first years dived towards the ruffians. Jade absently apparated guns from the hands of the assailants but failed to stop one fast goblin pulling the trigger; and the resultant back blast blew his hand quite off, and Sofie, who was biting his knees cried out as the explosion sounded in her ear.

"Blümchen!" Jade was at her side checking "Ah, no damage….. Leva, my Kätzchen, you are precitate and hasty and brave beyond measure but with no discipline at all. Now, I have had to act hastily and Sofie might have been hurt; as might all of you had I not removed their weapons in a hurry for they would all have exploded thus."

"How?" asked Leva. The ruffians were all being sat on.

"Because I apparated mud into the barrels that blocks the passage of the expanding gasses and sends them backwards to explode the cartridge" said Jade calmly, absently casting healing spells on the goblin. "Throw those guns into the lake; use _wingardium Leviosa_ to take them right out; it will be good practise for you. And then, gentlemen, we shall discuss the location of your hidden rebel base…. I mean we shall discuss who has hired you to get me raped by a troll."

"It weren't our idea" said one of the humans, seeing several determined wands now levelled "We just had instructions about what to set up; and if you ain't taken to that troll, he's likely to come looking."

"Well, it's not as though a troll is any challenge to discourage" said Jade. "You had to pick one that understands rudimentary language; so he'll understand when I threaten him. If he doesn't, the carrion of the forest will have a better feast for it. You are going to talk; and we can do this the easy way or we can do it the way you enjoy much less. Kjell, tie them up."

"Oh please Fraulein Von Strang, you aren't going to use the cruciatus curse on them are you?" said Kjell.

"I wasn't planning to; I have more efficient means at my disposal than the crudities of torture" said Jade "And I am also disposed to listen to their excuses as to why they would lend themselves to something as despicable as having a young girl raped by a troll. There, fellow; you will have the use of two of your fingers which is better than it might have been" she added to the wounded goblin.

"Er….thank you noble witch" said the goblin "We gotta do it, see? We work for the big man and when he give orders, we gotta do them. He'd kill us else, see? We ain't paid to fink about what we do, just do it."

"I see; you mean, poor and ill educated, each of you was happy to receive work as enforcers because that made you feel one up on those who you were paid to put one down; and then you got more complex jobs – kidnap such and such girl to put in a coop for a client... kidnap this man and torture him close to death as a demonstration….. take that man and cut off his wand hand….. see this man hanged in a prominent place so as to warn off others….. take this man's wife or children to force him to comply – those sorts of things?"

"Cor, Fraulein, howdyer know that?"

"I am au fait with how this wicked world wags, laddie" said Jade. "And once you are in, even if you don't like all you do, you have no choice?"

"'S about the size of it" said the wounded goblin "And fer what its worth I meant to fire over their heads to scare 'em."

Jade looked into his eyes.

"I actually believe you" she said "HE on the other hand" looking at the human leader "enjoys what he does; and relished watching my terror over being raped by a troll, that he might have gloated on it as you took me to the said troll. Therefore" she said, regarding the leading human with disfavour "I don't see why the poor innocent troll should be disappointed" and she smiled, brightly.

The human screamed in terror as he felt the transfiguration take his body; and shortly he was a rather buxom woman.

"Trolls like their women more shapely than I am" said Jade. The other five gazed in horror on him. He screamed and wept and begged. Jade ignored his entreaties.

"You" said Jade to the wounded goblin "And….you" she pointed to one of the other humans, a youth scarcely older than she was "Will come with me. The rest of you will take your fellow to the troll; if you do not, it's you the troll will recognise the scent of and pursue. Then" she held the eyes of each "You will forget everything about this job and you will go directly to the Vehmgericht in Berlin and tell them about your activities and about the big man. Here me; obey ME" she added in Parseltongue to tie the compulsion in more securely. They were callous enough those three, the two humans and the other goblin; they would have a fair enough trial and a term of imprisonment and the big man would hopefully be caught too. Why should she do other people's jobs for them after all?

"What will you do with us, lady?" asked the youth, all but wetting himself in terror.

"You two have distaste for what you do; so I shall find employment for you away from this big man; so long as you tell me all you know about him and how to find out who caused this plot to be hatched."

"It's simple enough" said the goblin "People who want a job done write to an address in Frankfurt. Nobody lives there but we get summoned there and one of the big man's men tells us what to do. I guess he probably keeps all the information somewhere; though I don't think it's LEFT there. He talks like a toff, like you; I heard him once because I was waiting for the others and he spoke on a communications globe to the one who briefed us, see? And it was dark but I heard his voice passing the instructions. People don't realise what sharp hearing goblins have, lady."

"What is your name?"

"Hunnic, lady" said the goblin.

"Walther" said the youth as Jade looked at him.

"Good; I will take you somewhere safe well out of the reach of the big man" said Jade.

"NOwhere is out of the reach of the big man" said Hunnic.

"He has a longer arm than the ODESSA ? I find that hard to believe" said Jade.

Hunnic looked interested.

"The only place the ODESSA can't reach is out of the Germanic countries" he said.

"Quite" said Jade "And certain strongholds within. Come; I will take you now" and she took them by the arm and apparated directly to her father's office.

"Hello my dear" said Severus, unperturbed. Jade had pulsed him warning. "Are you going to introduce me?"

"Hunnic and Walther" said Jade "They've been used by organised crime of the kidnap and punish sort in Germany; they need jobs and a bit of education. Also decent clothing and a bath" she added. "This is Professor Snape; he's harder than God."

"Yeah; the big man turned down a contract on the perfesser" said Hunnic "His top men were talking about it; and they was right glad he didn't take it because the ODESSA are scared shitless of him."

"Why thank you for such a nice piece of information, good Hunnic" said Severus. "You get about your business, my dear; I'll sort out the comfort of our new trainee security guards."

Jade apparated back.

"Jade, we were much scared by that" said Cacilia.

"No we weren't, Fraulein; there wasn't TIME to be scared" said Leva.

"Ah, Kätzchen, if you were in Hogwarts school you would be in Gryffindor house I think" laughed Jade "Where they breed the heroes like Harry Potter. I will teach you however, that heroes sometimes get dead friends for being heroic without thinking; as Harry had to learn. Even as he had to learn that sometimes it is braver for a hero to do nothing and let others act – until the right time. For what it's worth, at your age I'd have launched low to bite kneecaps too" she added as Leva looked crestfallen "And you kids are damned brave brats and I am moved at your support. And inclined to believe that you CAN handle the truth about me; and then we'll start you learning occlumensy" she added.

"Out here?" said Cacilia

"And unless someone has the same fey advantages I have, I'd say the safest place" said Jade; and quickly filled in the younger ones on her true identity.

They were less shocked than their elders; she was their hero and had protected each one of them, and for those who supported Cacilia, if Cacilia thought it all right, so too did they. And Gisela Schutzmann, assured that Anett Breuer knew all about it was satisfied too.

"Can we have your autograph?" asked Xanthe.

Jade laughed.

"Oh not a problem – after the end of the year" she said. "I AM rather incognito here; if you show it next year, either I will be teaching here as me, or you might have run into me in the holidays if I am still Nefrita. As you will all continue to think of me and call me."

There was a chorus of assent.

Really, Jade thought, they were a most excellent set of kids and maybe even worth while blooding some of them in. There was no hurry on that though. Nothing significant was likely to happen until after Yule.

There were some sounds up on the hillside and Jade threw a muffliatus spell in the general direction.

There was no need, after all, for the kids to be disturbed by the screams of the horrid creature she had condemned to the fate he had enjoyed contemplating for her.

Jade took a short cut to find out who had arranged for her to be kidnapped. The chances were it would be one of the enemies she had made here; Nachtigall or Claudette Reynault, who had been reminded of her presence by being embarrassed over splinching the apparation teacher.

Jade had her own suspicions and proceeded to legilimens the school owls one by one to see which had approached the house in Frankfurt recently.

There was no guarantee other pupils had not used this expedient of dealing with enemies in the past so she was looking for memories of the last few weeks.

The memories of magical owls were retentive; and Jade soon found what she was looking for, and was able to follow the memory back to the letter given by Heinrich Nachtigall and his nasty cohort Klaas de Witt.

She heaved a sigh; and went to consult Madam Bacsó, telling her all that had occurred and what she had found.

"Which is not admissible" said Jade "I suppose one might _accio_ the precise note and confront them; or go to Frankfurt with a sample of writing and fold it into a seeking bird to find its fellow. I'm at a bit of a loss what to do, to be honest with you Agata; they are only schoolchildren after all and I hesitate to take a permanent personal revenge; though they ARE dangerous and nasty. I need your advice."

"Yes; I see the dilemma" said Madam Bacsó "Also if the Vehmgericht take this er, big man, they may find the letter and such could bring disrepute on the whole school. It were better to find it if we could; and deal with him in school."

"Then I shall go to Frankfurt; and try _accio_ first and if that doesn't get it…oh I am a fool!" said Jade "Even if it's locked up, I can use the engulfing apparation enchantment….. forgive me, Agata, I'm a bit more shaken up by the concept than I care to admit; I could escape easily from such a trap, I was planning on sending the other kids back and leaving the troll empty handed with some baffled kidnappers that he'd be blaming; but the sick thought of it happening to girls who don't have my powers, abilities and calmness in a crisis is sort of rather overwhelming."

"My poor child!" said Agata "You think too much about the feelings of others; there is nothing you can do about what has happened in the past and you have taken more than adequate steps to stop it ever happening again."

"Product of my upbringing I suppose" shrugged Jade "Over developed sense of responsibility for others. Trained to protect. Right; I'll chant the damn thing up right now if I may."

"Do; I haven't the faintest idea what enchantment you're talking about and I'd like to see it in action" said Agata.

"It works like the engulfing charm on the bank vault doors in Gringott's bank; I don't know if other banks have the same safeguards but if anyone tries to open them who has the wrong finger prints, the door engulfs them and slings them into the locked vault. If they're lucky, someone investigates the accompanying alarm before they die of suffocation or thirst" explained Jade "It's been a NEWT level Arithmancy equation to explain it. Some of us reverse engineered it to use as appropriate."

She wrote the equation out in chalk on the floor and pictured the note firmly in her mind's eye from the memory of the owl that had carried it. Had she not had that memory she doubted she would be so successful. It had also got sweat on it from the fingers of Nachtigall; De Witt had handled it too. Jade fished out samples of dandruff from De Witt and hair from Nachtigall that she kept in vials in her pocket as insurance; ritual components were always handy to have.

And then she chanted.

And soon from nowhere appeared a paper and fluttered to the floor. Jade pulled on kid gloves and flattened it on the table. The letter was quite specific; stating that the boy had got this address from his father and that he wanted Nefrita Von Strang kidnapped, humiliated and raped by a troll.

"I bet that was De Witt's cunning idea" said Jade. "What do you want to do?"

"I plan to expel them both" said Agata.

"Will that not cause trouble if you do not make public the reason why?" asked Jade.

"I will write to their fathers and explain why" said Agata "Though I suspect that Nachtigall senior is well aware what his son is doing. I imagine that he told him how to set about this. It was probably how he arranged to have his brother bitten by a werewolf."

Jade smote her forehead.

"Of COURSE!" she said. "Agata, I have a better idea; that will mean they will not be able to gain positions of trust, especially De Witt; expel them for theft. Let them think you do that out of a desire to keep your school unsullied by their greater iniquities; neither is clever enough to recognise the implications until it is too late. Especially if you say in your records that it was theft of non valuable items of clothing, the underwear of little girls. That'll stitch them up and good."

Agata nodded.

"Quite as ruthless as ever my dear; I'm glad you're on form after so nasty a shock" she said. "Yes; you are right. And I have no compunction about doing it either."

"And I am afraid I AM going to have my last revenge on them" said Jade "And I'm about to go and lay bets with Lazlo over how long it takes for them to get a curse breaker able to take off what I'm going to drop on them."

"Send them to me first" said Agata "I want to have them undistracted while I chew them out."

Jade grinned, curtseyed, and ran off. It always pleased Agata immensely that Jade STILL curtseyed when they were alone together.

Jade walked into Nachtigall's study without knocking.

"Madam Bacsó would like to see Herr Quabbelig and De Wittless – that's a joke in English – about an intercepted letter and a sexually frustrated troll" she said.

Nachtigall went green.

"I – whatever are you talking about, Von Strang?" he said .

Jade looked him in the eyes.

"About your raging that you could not think of a way to hurt me; about how you wrote to your father and asked advice; about how he sent back the address of a man in Frankfurt who arranges matters; such matters as having people bitten by werewolves; about how De Witt came up with the idea of a troll, that he'd think of right away since it's what his mother must have used for his conception; and how you duly wrote. I hope you haven't already paid; the fees are extortionate" said Jade, absently dropping saponification charms and the full body bind on De Witt as he went for her. "Do run along boys; the head hates to be kept waiting. And just because she's inclined to be relatively merciful for the good of the school, don't think I shan't be waiting after you've seen her because I shall."

She released De Witt and left him to make a rather soapy way to the head's office, both of them prepared to expect relative mercy and so to perceive the expulsion for theft in that light.

She dropped an alerting charm on the door of the head's office to know when they left; and waited.

Jade apprised her own older friends of what was going on; and as she felt Nachtigall leave she started to chant.

"Michnai, gignai, Stingel, yah, yah, yah

Ein Zwei Drei, Mutter, Yah, yah, yah

She sit upon der steeple

And frighten all the people

Singing michnai, gignai stingel, yah, yah."

"That's absolute rubbish in English or German" said Cacilia.

"Yes; but it's also poetry by Kipling who was certainly a Parselmouth and probably at least a sensitive" said Jade "His poetry has latent power. We can go down and listen to Herr Quabbelig in a minute. Now De Witt."

She recited,

"Troll sat alone on his seat of stone

and munched and mumbled on a bare old bone;

for many a year he had gnawed it near

for meat was hard to come by

Done by! Gum by!

In a cave by the hills he dwelt alone,

And meat was hard to come by!"

She added,

"And that's Tolkein and I know it particularly well for being set twenty reps of it when I was about fourteen for insulting trolls by comparing a certain sixth former to one in hearing of a prefect. They had to uphold the dignity of the sixth you understand; but there are ways and ways of doing it. And Albert Jackman would rather have given trolls a bad name."

When the eight got downstairs it was to something of a commotion. A troll with the unmistakeable features of Klaas de Witt was howling in outrage, which protest was drowned out by the shrieking whistle, hiss of steam and shunting noises from Heinrich Nachtigall.

Various juniors howled with laughter – from a safe distance from the troll.

Jade showed herself; and the troll hurled himself at her, De Witt at least clever enough to realise that his troll's hide had some protection against spells.

It had no protection against tripping over the summoned tripwire; and De Witt measured his rather increased length; though he was rather short for a troll. If not, as Jade murmured inconsequentially and – to her fellows – incomprehensibly – too short for a stormtrooper.

Agata had summoned the entire faculty and was engaged in trying to get the noisy pair bundled into the red carriage to have them sent home.

"Did you HAVE to be so noisy about it?" she shrieked in a whisper at Jade.

"Yes; I don't want them to hush their shame up" said Jade. "De Witt is so much prettier, isn't he, and Nachtigall's voice sweeter and more like his name than before!"

"You are a bad girl" said Agata dropping a silence spell on the whole area.

The language De Witt was grunting through his ill fitting lips was NOT suitable for tender young ears.

It did NOT help that Ihor Rebet was singing quite openly a song that Agata's Ukrainian was just about sufficient to realise was one of celebration over the departure of troubles.

Jade was singing something in English equally incomprehensible to Agata, that went,

"Two world wars and one world cup

doodah, doodah

two world wars and one world cup

oh doodah day!"

And then went on to whistle a tune familiar to Agata as one that had taunted Hedda Schrempf. Schrempf was furious.

"You – English – what is that tune?" she demanded

"It is a traditional English song to taunt Germans with" said Jade "Or rather such Germans as we think unbearably above themselves. Ah yes; you have heard it before with appropriately adapted words at the Triwizard. WE rather like it; I don't suppose you do. But YOU don't have to; and you will apologise to me for addressing me so rudely."

Hedda went pale.

"I – I apologise" she said.

"You apologise WHAT?" demanded Jade, flinty cold.

"I apologise mistress" said Hedda.

"Better" said Jade "I shall not have to punish you then. Go away; you bore me."

Hedda Schrempf fled; Jade's cold eyes boring into her terrified her.

They were supposed to.

It was not to be supposed that the parents of the expelled boys would be happy about either their expulsion or the iniquities practised upon their persons. Agata saw both fathers.

"If they have so irritated their fellows as to be cursed on leaving, I would suggest that they have probably brought it upon themselves" she said coldly "So take them to a competent curse breaker; it is none of my business. I had already expelled them and broken their wands before the incident occurred; they were no longer my pupils. I should have said that very few people will notice much difference anyway. De Witt is better looking now I suppose; and as for Nachtigall, he should be glad that he is only making noises like a steam train and not howling at the moon once a month. Yes, Herr Nachtigall; I know all about that. And all about the big man who arranges such things. If I were you I would be very, very careful. Leaving us so soon? So glad I could clarify these little points. You might explain to Herr De Witt that his own son's imagination probably got him the form he now holds; and he too is lucky not to be in such a form and female with the troll that's wandering about the forest right now looking for a mate that is HIS responsibility….. excellent, nice to have met you both!" as Nachtigall dragged an outraged De Witt out of the study.

A little genteel blackmail would have to do as the way to handle parents until she had more temporal power.

And would not come amiss even when she had.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Jade felt her father's blood pulse and headed for the head's office in obedience with the thought he sent with it.

Agata Bacsó dropped the cup of tea she was holding as Severus appeared in her office. He caught it flawlessly with a flip of a finger and restored it gently to the table bowing.

"My apologies for rather an abrupt arrival, Agata" he said.

"How did you get in? This is an anti apparating zone!" said Agata, rather rattled.

"I'm sorry to be so rude as to overcome your wards; but this might be serious; ah, Jade arrives; I sent for her so I did not have to repeat myself" said Severus.

There was a knock at the door; and Agata called

"Herein!" and Jade entered.

"Urgent news?" she said.

"Yes; I looked up the er, big man" said Severus. "He is the minister for foreign affairs and relations; and he probably started in seeking blackmail material for the use of the ministry and branched out. The accommodation address has a built in apparation charm on the place the owls deposit the messages. We worked it back with geomancy and Arithmancy."

Jade exchanged a look with Agata.

"He'll have to be a casualty to the ODESSA attack – when it comes" shrugged Jade.

Agata nodded.

"Thank you for this, er, Severus; such a man is likely to have a file on me."

"Indubitably; I was planning on stealing it and removing any sensitive information" said Severus. "Don't worry; I don't use blackmail on my allies. And I'll tell you what, if anything, I find. I've a yen to poke about in that man's files."

"And that was almost at the edge of a crude comment there" grinned Jade. "Thanks dad; appreciated."

Severus nodded; and vanished silently into fey space.

"How does he do it? It's an anti apparating zone! And he's silent!" cried the head.

Jade shrugged.

"Some things have to remain secret between us, Agata; besides, I don't think you could do it. It has to do with having performed some extremely heavy rituals" she said. "AND being prepared to take on the strange and exotic ideas of other peoples and cultures; comparative magic is an interesting subject."

"And Geomancy more important than I realised" said Agata. "Time for me to consider introducing it as a subject in the school. And maybe chanting also" she added meditatively.

Jade had involved herself with the decorations for the Yule Ball; really in the hopes of providing something a bit less heavily Germanic and a bit more tasteful than she had seen last year. Jade worked on producing the illusion that all the participants had shrunk to the size of fairies and stuck to a theme of Christmas tide plants and snowflakes; graceful staircases of huge snowflakes ascended and descended in the great hall, and one staircase of trailing shiny green ivy leaves, each leaf several feet across and delicately veined above and below. Such huge ivy leaves also adorned the walls, and holly too; and holly and mistletoe festooned the ceiling, each berry a red lantern if holly or pearly white for mistletoe, giving a warm pink glow to the whole that Jade offset at floor level, which was made up of a tessellation of snow flakes, glowing with their own blued-white light, each one of them a different pattern in their six-fold symmetry. The whole effect was light and airy, mysterious and strange. Jade was pleased with her efforts especially with folding feyspace to make the staircases solid enough for anyone to walk upon.

It made a nice change from the Bactrian texts she was working on; for Jade had asked Madam Schreiber if there were any other Bactrian fragments besides the one used in the text book as an exemplar. Madam Schreiber had loaned Jade her own book which reproduced the logograms of the original and such translation as had already been done.

Jade had grinned and said that this would give her something to do over the Yule holidays.

She had picked out those texts supposed to be by the writer of the one in the text book; if he was a potioneer, she had a good chance of finding more that she was familiar with. And with a wider vocabulary available because of that, she should then have a better chance of cracking the rest. Jade fully anticipated it taking more than the Yule Holidays, but the comment made with a grin had made Madam Schreiber laugh!

"You will publish, Fraulein Von Strang?" she asked.

Jade considered; and came to a sudden decision.

"If I do, I'd do so under my own name" she said "Madam Bacsó did not think that I would be able to study peacefully if I used my real name; so I have been using a pseudonym. But I was right in thinking that a year at Durmstrang would give me more knowledge to add to what I had gleaned already; you use entirely different texts to those in English schools, which is fascinating. And have a different set of books too in the library."

"Er… I have not been informed by Madam Bacsó what your real name is, my dear" said Madam Schreiber.

"No; it would have been counterproductive for all the staff to know; especially Hedda Schrempf" said Jade. "I am Jade Snape; Madam Bacsó and Professor Rebet are aware, and I should like you to know too; as I think YOU might enjoy chatting to my father about HIS collection of ancient texts. Knowledge is the most important commodity in the world – in my opinion, anyway."

"I agree! And I must say, er, Fraulein Snape, I am agreeably surprised that a Triwizard champion should also be such a dedicated scholar!"

"If scholarship were taken more seriously it would be the scholars who romp it and the blast-it-to pieces wizards who come unstuck" said Jade "It is supposed to be a test of ultimate competence; only the academic subjects are a TRUE test of competence. Any idiot can cast some charm or other; Arithmancy and ancient runes take a little more work and make a whole lot more efficiency. A chanter who has not studied either is going to come unstuck; it is the study of ancient runes that makes chanting so powerful, and Arithmancy allied with that too makes a chanter virtually invincible. I have been able to use my knowledge of chanting to heal little Wencelada of a heart defect that ordinary medical transfiguration would be unable to do. Even the best transfigurationist in the world might have trouble, perhaps; even Professor Dumbledore might find it challenging. With a chant it was – well, I shan't say simple, but certainly relatively straightforward. I said at the Triwizard that without Arithmancy no higher magic was possible, but I am becoming more and more convinced that I should too have included Runes in that. The use of runic magic is slower; but surer. And THAT is why few people today will ever manage the greatness of the likes of Merlin or Egil Skallagrimson; because they want the quick, immediate fix, the instant gratification."

"You are right of course!" said Madam Schreiber much struck; Jade's unfeigned enthusiasm was infectious! "Should I continue to call you Nefrita Von Strang?"

"Please; until the end of the year, anyway. I've a mind to come back and teach here so perhaps we may be colleagues one day and able to wrestle texts into submission together; that would be fun. I – I would prefer you did not discuss my identity with Hedda Schrempf; I am going to have to duel the creature one day, but I want to concentrate on my studies first. I know more about the Dark Arts than she could ever teach me already" she added contemptuously "Enough to know that she has no more idea of the depths of depravity and evil in the human psyche than has a toddler throwing a tantrum and kicking his elf."

"She? She is no scholar nor even capable of more than the most basic of magic!" said Schreiber in contempt "She has some raw power, yes, but her intellect is deficient and she is virtually as subhuman as any muggle!"

"Actually, I know some very intelligent and able muggles" said Jade "Who are capable of understanding the theory enough to hold a counterpoint to a chant that is enough to actually aid a chanter; even though they have no magic themselves. There is one I know whose sister was a muggleborn witch who actually holds an 'E' grade NEWT in Ancient Runes, as she did it over one year only. Just say that Schrempf is subhuman and leave it at that."

"Truly? That is remarkable; and able to aid chanting? I had no idea!" said Madam Schreiber "Well, I am prepared to be open minded on the subject if such is true, for that means surely that a muggle thus trained could also write competent chants for someone with raw power and little theoretical knowledge if the muggle has chanting theory also?"

"Absolutely" said Jade "She also has a similar grade in Arithmancy; and as not all wizards and witches are actually capable of high level academic subjects, she has been useful to my father in preparing some of the simple chants any idiot can use for his basic text book. Naturally for complex chants, the rhythm, language and metre may need to change in an extempore fashion that only an academic can really understand. And picking a language for a specific incantation, even basing the chant on a basic one, may have more fortuitous results."

"Fascinating!" cried Agallisse Schreiber, who was a true academic.

The Yule Ball at Durmstrang was the day after that of Prince Peak and Jade was woken in the small hours by a contact from her father telling her that there was a ministry spy at the school in the person of Frau Magdalene Meyer, the Arithmancy teacher.

Jade went before breakfast to tell Agata this; and also that Severus had taken away several letters that might be read the wrong way and had sabotaged her file pretty well.

Agata was relieved about the second and concerned about the first.

"Well, we are forewarned to watch her" said Jade "And at least we KNOW…. Better to have a spy we know about than arrange to get rid of her and not know if a spy comes in another guise."

"I suppose so" said Agata "It is a sour business though; she of course is German and many of us are not."

"Then have compassion for the poor creature for her nationality" said Jade.

"You ARE a bad girl" Said Agata, trying not to laugh.

Jade's efforts of decoration created mixed feelings; some thought the idea enchanting and beautiful; a few found the concept of being made to seem so small actually rather frightening and intimidating.

A surprise guest at the Ball was Herzog Von Frettchen.

"An interesting concept of decoration, Fraulein Von Strang" he said as he kissed her hand and asked for a dance "Intended to put us all in our places I suppose?"

Jade looked as surprised as she felt.

"What do you mean, Herr Herzog? It is but a fantasy world of being fairy sized; an optical illusion to enable us to appreciate the beauty of things we take for granted from a different scale; that no two snowflakes are ever alike; that the veins of leaves are a delicate tracery; I was particularly pleased with the skeleton leaves you may see on the floor by the edges of the ballroom, touched with silver as of frost and more delicate than any jewellery at their normal scale. Why would that er, put anyone in their places?"

"It is not, then, intended to intimidate for its sheer scale?"

Jade laughed.

"Oh what a silly idea!" she said "Anyone who felt intimidated by such would surely be a truly petty and small minded person to take it as such; or mentally ill that could see nothing but the negative aspects that no normal person would see. We have all wondered, surely, as children, what it would be like to be a mouse or a fairy and see the great big world; it is an expression of our own growing size and changing perceptions. Christmas is a time for children; so I create a childish fantasy, mostly for those of us who leave our childhood behind forever when we have completed our exam studies this year."

"I see" said Von Frettchen who would have died before admitting that his first feeling had been one of intimidation.

He was a reasonable dancer; and Jade enjoyed dancing with him well enough. He had something on his mind, however.

"What is the matter?" she asked bluntly "You are not concentrating, My Lord."

"I am sorry; a beautiful woman deserves that her partner gives her all his attention" said Von Frettchen. Jade managed NOT to elevate one cynical eyebrow at such a polished phrase and he went on, "The Prince has asked to meet you; I understand you stay at the school for the holidays; so I will be pleased to take you tomorrow to make his acquaintance."

"Oh dear" said Jade "I suppose I'd better go along with you; what a nuisance grown ups can be wanting to meet people!"

"It is a great honour to meet Prince Gerhardt" chided Von Frettchen.

"Well very probably; but I have a rather juicy Bactrian text I was hoping to get my teeth into" sighed Jade "It's an inventory; and inventories are just DANDY for helping with translation. Ah well, I don't suppose he'll want me for long" she brightened.

"You would rather wrestle with academic work than meet a true prince? What an extraordinary girl you are!" said Von Frettchen.

"You know I feel little for him but contempt; what is a fool in comparison to knowledge that may be of use unravelling other texts and ancient knowledge perhaps long lost?" said Jade "Bribe me with spending a couple of days in your own library and I shall agree with better grace."

"Well you are honest enough to ask for a bribe I suppose!" he laughed "Very well; you shall spend time in my library to make up for the tedium of meeting a less than academic figurehead. He IS a good figurehead."

"And he'd be a better figurehead if he only waved bye-bye, said Papa and tied his shoelaces to command" said Jade "Instead of being allowed to have ideas. You have danced two dances with me; it is not _de rigueur_ to dance any more."

He bowed obediently and left her, under the scowls of Hedda Schrempf. Jade held the woman's eye until she dropped her gaze and turned away.

Dominating like this was no fun at all, thought Jade; and quite took away the chance to just jinx her quietly, because it would scarcely be ethical to do so to someone in your thrall. However she was piecing together the way Hedda Schrempf thought, what made her the way she was; and it was at least partly in the upbringing. Self-willed and spoilt, shown muggle baiting from an early age and other things assimilated as normal like the ill treatment of elves; and yet there was that in her character that had taken to such things eagerly, and Jade could not see a way to change that.

No, Schrempf could not be taken back to childhood; she would have to die. A shame, but there you were.

The one sour note of the evening was the flautist who was busy murdering the music Jade had provided as suitable for the décor. Sighing she went over to the musician's platform, took the flute from the hands of the struggling flautist and finished the rest of the 'Birdcatcher's Song' for him.

"Wherein lay the trouble?" asked Jade.

"Fraulein, I have never seen this piece of music before" said the flautist.

"But you had half an hour beforehand to overlook all the pieces; that is sufficient for any musician, surely?"

"Fraulein, I hear you play and you are far beyond my class; for me I should expect to practise new music for several days before I would wish to play it in public" said the flautist. The other musicians nodded assent.

"But then who has taught you so inefficiently?" said Jade "An accompanist, which is the same for accompanying dancing as for any soloist, surely expects to pick up music at short notice and play?"

"Fraulein, music is not an important subject" said the harpist "We must learn it as best we might."

"But what then should you wish to use your music to lay in enchantment? If you need to rehearse beforehand, that destroys the spontaneity of enchanting, surely?"

They stared.

"You can do magic with music?" asked the flautist.

"Oh dear" said Jade. "watch; and learn."

She picked up the flute again and started playing a wild, whirling tune, a wailing waltz rhythm that resonated through the whole body; for Jade played the voice of a blizzard, and silvery snowflakes fell from the ceiling, fell and vanished as they reached the ground, whirling and dancing to her playing.

"Fraulein, I never knew such was possible; where would one learn that?" asked the flautist.

"Oh in a good English school certainly" said Jade "there are too many subjects not addressed here. If you would learn, look for a book called 'Ars Musicalis Magica' by Cepion Cephallon; it's still one of the best, though the Latin's a bit antiquated in style; it's sixteenth century and he spends several pages rambling about the decadence of madrigals but the theory is sound enough. I guess for the rest of the evening you'd better stick to Strauss and such well known stuff."

"Music too?" said Agata.

"Oh, up until now, one had music lessons paid for separately and picked up magical theory as one went along; Prince Peak plans to specialise, however, in those kids who have artistic talents, music or art; a specialist teacher starts next year for music" said Jade. "If I'm teaching here, I'll do extra curricular work with the talented; and advise those with real talent to transfer to where their talents can be best brought on. I don't have any claim to be able to teach it as well as I perform. One doesn't always lead to the other. I refuse to teach tone deaf dunderheads who only play an instrument because their parents think it nice. I'm more likely to throttle the parents with fiddle strings. No-one ever said I was tolerant."

Von Frettchen side-along apported Jade in the morning.

Jade hated being side-alonged.

"I have my apparating licence you know" she said mildly.

"Yes; but I wish to take you to a place you will not have seen; and because it is a secret location a place that you should not know" said Von Frettchen, taking her arm to Apparate her.

Jade sighed as they emerged in a forest.

"If you wish to keep it unknown, don't you think that you should have it in a less distinct place than the Teutenburgerwald?" she said. "The very trees whisper of the slaughter of the legions and pale Roman ghosts lurk amongst the trees crying for vengeance upon the name of Varus for his miscalculation. You look confused; surely you must study muggle history to give extra background to our own history? My own family is descended from a deserter from one of the lost legions who was a rather dodgy soothsayer. He was hiding out in the Roman army because of the anticipated vengeance of one of his unsatisfied clients; he prophesied a really good day for a wedding and there was a freak hail storm and the bride was struck on the temple by a hailstone and was killed. It's one reason I don't think much of prophesies."

"I have never heard that of the Von Strang family" said Von Frettchen.

Jade gave him a fishy stare.

"Oh, I meant the Malfoy family" she said "A line of ineffable antiquity; not the minor line whose name I choose to use; that is merely because Germans are so impressed by 'von'. A Malfoy does not NEED to remind people of their nobility; it is immediately obvious. We ARE the master race. Are we moving on to this wretched prince of yours are am I to stand here and catch cold in this gloomy forest?"

"You are very self satisfied" said Von Frettchen.

"Well yes. I rather have reason to be, don't I?" said Jade.

Von Frettchen decided not to answer that; and merely seethed gently.

The Prince received Jade in a throne room that was tacky enough, in Jade's opinion, to go down well in Hollywood.

She dropped him a neat curtsey that was slightly short of the one she used to Agata Bacsó and a long way short of the one she used to her father. It was, however, a masterpiece of elegance and sophistication; and she extended her hand to him to kiss.

The Prince was too bemused to do anything but comply. Jade noted with revulsion that he actually kissed the back of her hand instead of dropping the salute on the air just short of it as was proper; and he held her hand longer than was necessary.

"I have heard much about your talent from Herzog Von Frettchen, Fraulein Baronin; but Eduard! You did not tell me she was beautiful!" said the prince.

"I apologise, my prince" said Von Frettchen.

"Tell me, Fraulein – ah, I will call you Nefrita – why do you think that the Herzog failed to tell me of your beauty?" said the prince with what he evidently believed to be arch sly humour.

"He did not say that I am of the family Malfoy? For to be Malfoy is to be beautiful as well as powerful" said Jade. "Perhaps it slipped his mind."

"Or perhaps he thought to keep your beauty to himself, hmmm?"

"Illogical" said Jade coldly "He is not, after all, in the running to court me; I would look for a handsome young man as my mate."

"Ah, my dear! You shall marry me!" said the prince.

Jade stared.

"Excuse me" she said "But I believe I specified my preference; I fear you do not qualify on any count, Prince Gerhardt. I decline your offer."

"I am the young Siegfried! I am handsome and dashing and I am your prince! You WILL marry me!" he went to grab her to pull her to him.

"In your dreams!" said Jade eluding him "You're quite elderly – you won't see thirty again – and your arse is fat and your face is coarse and ugly and when I said you don't qualify on any count, I DID specify that I wanted a man – not a cowardly poltroon and an imbecile that sends his troops to die and has not the bollocks to go with them! You RAN AWAY from a bunch of schoolkids when you were at Prince Peak!"

Von Frettchen was wincing.

The prince went to slap Jade.

The blow contacted solidified air; and without moving a muscle Jade hoisted him by one ankle turning him into a squealing pig as she did so, absently casting the full body bind on his soldiery who started forward.

Jade reflected absently that her Wulf was a sight older than the Prince; but werewolves were very long lived and he had taken good care of himself. Wulf was ageless. Besides he was beautiful; he was hers.

"Nefrita! Turn him back!" said Von Frettchen scandalised.

Jade turned her gaze on him.

"I do not believe I made YOU free with my name any more than I did HIM" she said "He's so much better looking like this, wouldn't you say? And more useful; you can have bacon sandwiches for tea now."

The pig squealed in even more outrage.

"Fraulein Baronin, I ORDER you to restore him!"

"Or what? You will not admit that you took me to see the head of an illegal – even fictitious – organisation; I have the right to defend myself when he is effectively saying that he has the force to marry me against my will, effective rape; why were not YOU protecting me from such a boor? He tried to lay lewd hands on me; I am within my rights to protect myself. I knew he was a buffoon, but I did not know how much; I will have nothing to do with him nor with your lowborn organisation and its stuck up middle class ideals and ideas that drift half-formed from the loose conglomerations of ill-formed thought that are the minds of such as this pig and his turgidly minded followers for whom Hedda Schrempf is the paradigm of princely paladins in the mind of whichever drooling imbecile sent HER to teach at Durmstrang. You may get him out of it yourself; or you may turn him into a nice ham. Though he'd have tasted better had he been gelded in fact not merely by inclination. Good morning, Herzog Von Frettchen. Unhappy Christmas."

Jade apparated away, causing more upsets as the throne room was a non apparating zone.

She crept back in feyspace to see Von Frettchen cast _finite incantatem_ which released the soldiers and dropped the pig on its snout. The transfiguration she had tied to his name. If Von Frettchen thought to use _homomorphous_ that should work; but he had not tried it on Dunkelwald so he was unlikely to think of it for the prince.

Von Frettchen was trying to sooth the angry pig; and finding it impossible, stared into the royal porker's eyes instead and cast the imperious curse.

The pig obediently climbed back onto the throne.

"And a fine fuck-up I made of that" said Jade to herself "But how DARE he maul me like that?"

She took herself to Wulf to tell him all about it.

"Am I too old my darling?" said Wulf.

"You are like the old saying; that a man is just as old as the woman he feels" said Jade, snuggling at him "He's prematurely aged for self indulgence."

"Ah; he is aged more figuratively than literally then" said Wulf. "Let me kiss it better."

Jade submitted happily to having it kissed better; then opened a link to report to her father.

"Ah; but then, you never hid your distaste for the prince" said Severus when she had told him what had occurred. "Let Von Frettchen talk you round a bit; but be aware that there is a prophecy that you will overcome only if you do not succumb to the Ferret."

"I HATE prophecies" said Jade "Are you sure it's me?"

"Yes; and it's not the first to name the Jade Wolf" said Severus.

Jade snorted.

"Load of rubbish" she said. "I'm not planning on succumbing to any blandishments of that slippery old spy; he's not as good as Lucius anyway."

"Lucius had to survive between Voldemort on the one hand and Dumbledore on the other; it does concentrate the mind wonderfully" said Severus dryly.

"There is that" Jade agreed. "Well don't tell me any prophecies; I don't want to know. It seems to me that the moment people start taking notice of prophesies they actually activate them and THEN they get in shit street trying to stick to them. I'll take fatherly advice not to trust Von Frettchen too far – not that I was planning to anyway – and go my own sweet way regardless. Always in motion is the future. Unless you prefer to give me any instructions?"

"Play it by ear, my dear; you're good at feeling the way" said Severus. "And may the force be with you."

"With the prince, it's more farce than force" said Jade.

Jade apported back through time to be in Durmstrang in time for Von Frettchen to arrive and come looking for her. She had no intention of going to meet him; besides, she had an idea for her Bactrian translation. The inventory was so plainly a potioneer's list of ingredients she had but to write from memory the most used ingredients for any competent potioneer; and then see if any logograms might be interpreted by anything she had on HER list.

It was, moreover, soothing.

And it was quite amusing to reach out to touch Von Frettchen's outermost thoughts and see his frustration that he could not find her anywhere. Less amusing that he had slapped little Fyra.

Jade waited for him to ask someone who knew her habits, like Professor Rebet; who told the duke that anyone who knew Fraulein Von Strang would seek for her in the library before any other place.

When the Duke came in and said,

"Oh HERE you are!" she looked up coldly.

"You hit my servant" she said "Only inadequates hit dependants and those weaker than themselves. Perhaps I was mistaken; perhaps you ARE more like Schrempf than like a gentleman."

He flushed.

"I was agitated" he said.

"So? A gentleman does not take out his agitation on underlings; it is uncultured. Go and apologise to her and heal any harm you have done; or I will not speak to you and I will let the world know also of what I think of such an oaf" and she turned back to her work.

Von Frettchen clenched and unclenched his fists several times; then went in search of the goblin child.

Jade followed in Feyspace.

"I should not have hit you; I apologise" he said tightly "Taking out anger on a servant is not right."

"Fraulein Von Strang said I should never be hit!" said Fyra "And I still say a man should NOT be in my mistress' bedroom; it is wrong and improper!"

"You are correct; and I apologise for that too" said Von Frettchen "You are a loyal child; you serve your mistress well, I will heal the bruising I have caused" he added getting out his wand. Fyra watched fearfully as he levelled it up with her face and saw his face tighten slightly as he realised that he had also cracked her cheekbone. She put her hand to her face as the healing warmth ran through it.

"Thank you noble wizard" said Fyra, dropping a curtsey.

"It was only what was due; and more" said Von Frettchen. "Your mistress has an aggravating habit of being right."

"Oh she is kind and gentle and so wonderful!" declared Fyra "I do love her so much!"

Von Frettchen stared.

"CAN goblins love?" he asked.

"Of course, Noble Wizard; or how would our families work?" said Fyra.

Von Frettchen had been rather of the opinion that goblin families worked after the manner of litters of animals; but wisely enough did not say so. He nodded curtly; and returned to the library.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Jade was scribbling hard and held up a hand as Von Frettchen came in so that she might finish noting her train of thought. He waited for her to sit back.

"I am at your disposal, Herzog" said Jade, coolly.

"Your maid is loyal; she was right, I should not have entered your bedroom" said Von Frettchen "I wondered if you might be crying on your bed."

"Did you take me for a weakling then?" said Jade. "If I were sufficiently overcome by anything – and it takes more than a fat pig – I should not let my tears show to any. I would deal with any weakness and put it behind me in private; and not frighten a servant by seeming weak in her presence. I take it you have found that you cannot restore your prince and want me to put his shape back so you may manipulate him like a puppet so he does not so much as squeak unless your hand is up his arse to move him."

"Coarse; but essentially, yes" said Von Frettchen "He is a necessary figurehead – unless we get another. A powerful, beautiful princess might serve."

"You want me to run ODESSA ? If I did, I should not be a cipher, Von Frettchen, but a leader" said Jade crisply.

He blinked.

The move to decisive, incisive leadership – and the surge of charisma – as well as addressing him as an underling was sudden and well assumed; she was then capable.

"I do, my princess" he said.

Jade regarded him thoughtfully.

"I will think about it" she said "And give you my decision in a week. I would not, in any case, be prepared to take on any such role until I have completed my ZHs; why should I throw up my education?"

"Patriotic duty….."

"Patriotic duty and the greater good are so many catch phrases to manipulate fools; I do NOT get manipulated" said Jade "A youthful nobleman is not expected to throw up school to take up the reins of his estates; he utilises a steward while he finishes his schooling. So be a steward. There are too many meaningless words such as a magpie might learn to say and not enough noblesse oblige in ODESSA . Go away; I'll see you after Christmas" and she waved a hand of dismissal.

Von Frettchen found himself meekly withdrawing and actually checked himself for signs of the imperious curse, though she had not looked into his eyes. He found none.

Jade had the self confidence to just use that air of command; and he had obeyed. And Von Frettchen too came to the conclusion that Nefrita Von Strang had more charisma and leadership ability than had Prince Gerhardt even at his most youthfully engaging.

Jade reported the whole to Madam Bacsó.

"Well you cannot be expected to put up with the advances of any man on first acquaintance, even were he personable; such behaviour renders him immediately loathsome and is indicative of his nature" said Agata, disgusted.

"It was rather revealing, wasn't it?" said Jade "I had a mind to tell Von Frettchen outright that ODESSA is such a broken thing that I would, if called upon to lead it, rescue the werewolves and disband the rest; give him honesty about who I am and tell him to like it or lump it. My family were right when they hooted in derision about me playing an undercover part and bringing down ODESSA whilst pretending to agree with its ideals; I CAN'T stand up and tell a bare faced lie and I can't act a part either. I meant to be cold and aloof; but my instincts told me to protect the little ones from the likes of Nachtigall; and then there was Wencelada's heart; and…. Oh well, you get what you see."

"I tried not to like Jade Snape at the Triwizard" said Agata Bacsó "I did not entirely succeed. I have always believed that pure blood means the best. It has been hard to see the likes of Miss Granger doing so well; I do not understand it."

"It is because more than one gene – determinant of heritance – controls our magical ability" said Jade. "A black skinned person and a white skinned person will have a brown child. Two brown people can have a child ranging from black as deep as any black ancestors to white with blue eyes and blonde hair. Neither extreme is as likely as something in the middle; but both are possible. Most muggles carry some ability for magic; not perhaps enough to use it spontaneously, or only at a minimal rate, that their training causes them to suppress and subliminate. The age at which magic becomes apparent is an age at which muggle children tend to be reaching an end to their belief in magic things. Some suppress spontaneously because it can't be true and they are afraid of being teased. However, two muggles with some latent ability can produce a child whose ability is as great as that of a pure blood witch or wizard; with all the genes active. And with pure bloods, if there is enough inbreeding, some of the genes can become inactive; like some peas in a pod don't develop and are all squished and fallen in on themselves. If enough are inactive we call this being a squib. A squib can have normal wizarding children; and there are degrees of being a squib at that. There are degrees of ability with magic. This is dependant on factors nobody fully understands; but it has been observed that sometimes the genes are more active in some individuals than others. This can be seen on the Malfoy lines of a person's heritable background. Technically both my REAL parents were muggles – I'm adopted, my mum is actually a cousin – though one was half Malfoy. He never used magic properly however but he seemed to have used some skills unconsciously. But if you observe my Malfoy lines I show as a pureblood; because of the fortuitous circumstance of the way my heritance happened. Understanding of heritance laws makes something of a mockery of the pure blood – mud blood argument."

"That does put a different complexion on it" said Agata "But there will always be those who prefer a school where blood is almost pure; explaining something more complex than how to make tea is beyond a lot of my parents."

"Another argument AGAINST inbreeding" said Jade dryly "That it eats away at the intellect. Things will change; because if they do not, the school will not stay open. Pure bloods, even on the continent, will diminish perforce because of sheer numbers. The call Gellert Grindelwald made for pure bred witches to have more children killed more pure bred witches than ever muggles have; obedient girls bred themselves to death producing sickly babies and diminished bloodlines – those where any survived to adulthood – where bringing a child to term has, in some lines, become an issue like it was in the middle ages. Women aren't supposed to have a baby every year; but to use the natural contraception of breast feeding for three years, forgotten in the convenience of cauldron milk to replace breast milk; almost as good for the baby but infinitely more convenient for women who hate to be messy. I hated having to put Ralph onto it. But it ISN'T practical in a modern society to breast feed for three years; and most of us use other potions instead. Grindelwald's call to duty however had women getting pregnant almost as soon as they had birthed; and midwifery potions and spells notwithstanding, it's an assault on the body that's too much."

"He was only a man" said Agata "I suppose he could not be expected to understand that."

"If men had to have babies I expect we'd die out" said Jade. "Shall I tell Von Frettchen the truth?"

"Why not? He'll have alienated himself from the prince already so he has little choice but to listen. If he doesn't like it, I presume you mean to kill him?"

"Or drop a compulsion on him. I hadn't decided" said Jade. "Good; we'll see him together. Outnumber and outflank him."

Jade felt a blooding ceremony taking place in England and pulsed her love and congratulations to whoever was new…. Victor Crabbe she felt plainly and was pleased; no surprise there, he had settled in well as family; little Harmony Bloom – well, little no longer, Hamony was her age; and with Percy Weasley; oh THAT was nice! And… good grief, thought Jade, Darryl Zabini, the loudest racist of Hogwarts? History there…. With MIMI? That was a turn up for the book….. the boy was big enough then to acknowledge the partiality and set aside racism; she pulsed approval at him.

It would be nice to be with all her family; but she must be content to spend Christmas Day with her Wulf and Irmi and Ralph; and this she apparated to do, and was well hugged by Irmi. They were sharing Christmas with Anett Breuer and her adoptive goblin family; Jade had asked Wulf to arrange suitable presents for all but him and Irmi, having bought for Irmi a book of the tales of Til Eulenspeigel and his interactions with the wizarding community and for Ralph a brightly illustrated book of German folk and fairy tales of the type of the tales of Beadle the Bard. She had checked it over carefully for curses too; one could not be too careful!

She had asked Wulf to get nice story books for Yrdl and her family as that would have been one of the things they never had; and for an intelligent child, you could not have too many books! Wulf, with perspicacity, got a full set of the Cassie books for Yrdl, including the new one, 'Cassie – Seeker!' and had them all autographed by Krait.

The children were all overwhelmed and there was a lot of hugging all round.

Ralph's idea of a good Christmas present was one with nice crackly paper round it that he might try to eat; but he laughed with joy at the happiness of the older ones. Irmi had bought him a big cuddly wolf in a muggle shop and he held it firmly by the neck, waving it for emphasis.

Jade enjoyed her day; and the time alone with Wulf before she must return.

"Come with me and meet Agata" said Jade "She will be pleased to have the trust put in her; and when Von Frettchen comes it would be nice to have you available to join us too."

Wulf nodded.

"I will come" he said "Agata Bacsó needs to recognise her allies."

Agata Bacsó greeted the tall, grim-faced man with some surprise; somehow she had expected Jade to have married some dashing and insouciant young bravo. Still, there was that about this man that reminded her of Severus Snape; and they said that a girl who has a good solid relationship with her father will choose a man with much of her father about him.

"I was thrown out of Durmstrang for becoming a werewolf" said Wulf "So I know my way about; it has not changed much. Now there is a cure I take it that will no longer happen?"

"There is no need" said Agata "If there is a cure. Wolfbane Potion is sufficient to control the disease but of course it does not control the foolish fears of the unfortunate afflicted's dormitory fellows."

"Alas, too often true" said Jade "I hear Professor Dumbledore put a youthful werewolf firmly in the protection of a protective group of lads until dad had perfected the cure; picking from among them a half elf and some goblins who cannot catch the disease. But then the atmosphere at Hogwarts is generally one of co-operation rather than here, where it is one of competition; and not healthy competition."

"What do you mean?" asked Agata.

"Why, that from the first, here it is about getting the right man to fag for; and if necessary making foolish any other fags that one might have more favour. Such I found in the Romanian child who I did NOT therefore take as my fag; for she tripped Sofie while she carried hot coffee to make her seem inefficient. It is but an example of the concept promulgated by ODESSA that one pushes down others to make oneself seem better; rather than striving to BE better. When one is the best because others are worse rather than from personal drive, it is hardly surprising the Triwizard champions look so poor compared to those of supposedly similar levels of education. One cannot count Hellibore's and Beauxbatons; their standards of academic achievement are lower; they have no competition at all, healthy or otherwise, save perhaps in the art of doing nothing elegantly. Sorry, that was bitchy."

Agata smiled.

"Oh I like to hear that you have your moments of intolerance, my dear" she said.

"I have lots of moments of intolerance" said Jade "I loathe fools, despise arse-lickers, though not as much as I despise bullies and I have no time at all for those who will not use the brains God gave them. And I laugh at people who are self satisfied about how good they are because they've been told so by sycophants and have never really had any real competition. Of the friendly rivalry kind that is. At Prince Peak, and before that at Hogwarts, my friends and I all spurred each other on because we wanted each of us to be the best at one subject or another; and as many as possible subjects. But we also helped each other out with points we had missed, or that one of us was better with than others. That's HEALTHY competition."

"I see" said Agata "I have never experienced any kind but the type that making others look bad makes you look good. I too attended Durmstrang of course."

"Hmm" said Jade "Then the inference is obvious; arrange a term at a time or even a whole year of exchange teaching. Your teachers would have to be warned that the easy familiarity that English children show their professors stems not from any discourtesy but from a sufficiently profound respect that requires no false speech mode; that we expect most of our teachers to be literally in loco parentis, especially House Heads at Hogwarts. There is of course a distance; but also the expectation that a teacher would be approachable on any subject and that a teacher would accept the word and the recommendation of a senior or prefect unless that senior is known as untrustworthy; such would NOT be a prefect. Kids who are officious for the sake of it do NOT make good prefects. If you're introducing the concept next year, I'll make suggestions of who to pick; I've seen them from ground level, as you might say."

"Thank you; and I have learned that such is not colossal cheek from you but a genuine desire to be helpful. It could be open to misinterpretation" said Agata.

"I suppose so" said Jade. "But I guess it illustrates the case in point. Albus Dumbledore is usually on first name terms with his head boy or girl and many of the prefects – but only within his office. Treating your prefects as young adults tends to get an adult response."

"Who WOULD you pick as prefects?" asked Agata "For next year?"

Jade made a face.

"None of the lower sixth nor the fifth this year are hugely prepossessing; we had the same trouble at Cackle's too" she said. "Serafina Payutina, Velma Zukic and Konstanty Masicwicz are the most hopeful in the lower sixth; Hilde Mundnimbus, Jochen Wiesel and maybe Stiv Molotov in the current fifth; of the current fourth if you wanted fifth form prefects I'd recommend either or both of the Asimov twins, Gisela Schutzmann. Responsibility might be good too for Nikolai Nagy; he's one to watch for and tell him to pull up his game if he hopes to be a prefect."

"Amazing! I should have said that of the lower sixth the leaders were Claudette Reynault and Jaromir Frolik!" said Agata.

"Well they're a lovely pair of bullies if you want to continue to emulate ODESSA ; and the system means that the ones I name can do no more than endure, keep their own fags safe, and keep their rebellion quiet" said Jade. "Again, I'd not argue against Baard Trollkettil; he is a survivor but he might raise his game if it was made clear to him that he had a responsibility to the younger ones. And with the authority that goes with being a prefect, those quiet rebels would feel more able to speak out, I think. And would feel they had your support to act against and oppose bullies."

"So it is not always those who take the lead who should be prefects?"

"In a healthy system, it is those who are WILLINGLY followed by the others" said Jade "And there is a difference."

Agata nodded.

"And this we do not, as a series of nations, understand; for we have all had the Durmstrang experience and so we assume that the one who can enforce compliance is the best leader" she said.

"Well and cogently analysed; that is harder for one who is on the inside and has grown up with it" said Jade "Sorry; that sounded patronising and it wasn't meant to be; merely an expression of my admiration for your ability of objectivity."

"Which means" said Agata "That I have the opportunity to make a more profound rebellion than merely taking over the ministry – to train up youths to change the whole way of thinking in all the ministries!"

"Quite so" said Jade. Agata was quick; and fortunately subtle enough to realise that such was more important than any outward expression of power!

Eastern Europe would change.

Von Frettchen was not entirely comfortable to find himself in Agata Bacsó's office to see Jade.

"Agata has been a great help and comfort to me" said Jade, hitching herself on the corner of the desk as Agata and Von Frettchen sat themselves down in chairs. This, incidentally, gave her a higher vantage point than either, especially the duke; which she had discussed with Agata who had promptly found a large, comfortable looking but essentially low armchair in which to install him as though for his comfort.

They had giggled much over this arrangement which had surprised Jade who had not known that Agata could unbend enough to giggle conspiratorially.

Jade smiled down at Von Frettchen in a faintly superior way.

"And now, Herzog" she said "I have one final question to ask you."

"Anything…..my princess" said Von Frettchen.

"What I want to know is, why an intelligent, noble gentleman like yourself, so imbued in noblesse oblige and upright morality, should have anything to do at all with ODESSA that is the laughing stock of Europe, wherein the troops are spent like water on a whim and where there is scarcely any support left for it having been mostly killed by the ineptitude of the higher command, eroding such support as it may have had from others?" said Jade.

Von Frettchen blinked.

"You need not fear a lack of troops, my princess; there are plenty still in Russia who do not know of the reverses caused by the foolishness of Gerhardt."

"I ask a question and you do not answer it; merely tell me that there are a load of foreigners to overrun and subject the Germanic peoples" said Jade coldly. "Russia is not really my concern; at least not for the moment. I am concerned with Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, the Czechs and Slovaks and the Poles, Romanians and Ukrainians. The vastness that is Russia cannot be dealt with in the same way as the Germans nor those of what one might describe loosely as Bohemia. Muggle history again intervenes and makes the condition of the wizards of the region once known as the Holy Roman Empire similar in historic experience. I left out Belgium and Holland; and possibly one might too count Denmark. I want to know in what way you reconcile everything a Junker of impeccable manner and training stands for with the shitpile that is ODESSA ."

"Is this your way of refusing to accept command?"

"It is not. It is my way of trying to clarify what YOU stand for; if you continue to evade the issue and return spurious answers, Von Frettchen, I must conclude that you are a pusillanimous fool who does not know what he stands for."

Her tone was cold; and Von Frettchen stared.

"You know that I dislike the way some things have been done; the prince chose the wrong advisers and went about things in the wrong way" he said "We could re-ignite the fervour, bring the glory back!"

"I disagree" said Jade "The only way to entirely re-ignite any reforming zeal is to disband ODESSA and bury it; and bury it deep. If I lead it I shall take steps to make sure the werewolves all have the cure that is available; and I shall disband the whole thing, after making sure of carrying out judicious assassinations of those I consider particularly dangerous. You see, I don't think that ODESSA and the ideals of nobility actually march on the same path; and you have been brainwashed into believing that old tripe about the Greater Good. You won't be the first; even Albus Dumbledore was briefly seduced by the concept until he realised how spurious was the rhetoric of Gellert Grindelwald. The crap about keeping muggles subdued is so much hogwash; it can't be done. Muggles don't COPY magic with technology; they don't know about magic to copy. They do different things. One thing they are particularly good at is killing people. Each other. They could turn that against the wizarding world easily if the wizarding world turned on them; especially as they would have help from such as ODESSA despise, like the muggleborn. Which by the way I need to explain to you" and Jade repeated the explanation she had made to Agata. She thrust sheets of Malfoy lines at him as he looked disbelieving.

"Pick the pure bred from those" she said.

He hesitated and pointed to two.

"That one is Hermione Granger; who is muggle born" said Jade "The other is Harry Potter whose mother was muggle born. This one here with the indeterminate line is a pure bred lad who has certain aspects of squibbery. The others are people of more or less mix; this one, with a low ability indicated is from a girl with pure blood for eleven generations who is just unfortunate enough to have a lower level of wizarding heritance than is average; this one is a child of a muggle born and a half blood. With more than enough ability; he may not have a full complement of markers but the lines are longer than average showing that what he does have is working more efficiently than most. Proving that the criteria for supposed excellence are flawed at best and spurious at worst. I am NOT pure bred; because there ain't no such animal as Nefrita Von Strang; I am Jade Snape and I am come to bring down the foolishness that is ODESSA because it is a danger to the whole wizarding world; and I do not want to see the whole wizarding population of Germany and her satellites wiped out by muggles as could easily happen; or destroy themselves in the faction wars and rebellions that are going to happen if it continues its futile fumblings. I am about to take you to show you some of the things muggles are capable of, Von Frettchen; and to tell you that one of them would be to drop a weapon on Durmstrang so powerful that there would be a hole in the ground a mile across around it. And THAT could be done from America; and you have no control in America."

He stared, the horror of that overshadowing the terrible revelation of who she really was.

"Impossible, surely! Besides, how would they find it? Durmstrang is unplottable!"

"But NOT invisible" said Jade. "Let me fit you with muggle clothing; Agata, will you come?"

"I will" said Agata "Dear me, how very inelegant muggle garments are!"

"Sorry" shrugged Jade, holding out her hand to Agata and taking Von Frettchen firmly by the hand to apparate them to Berlin. They arrived quietly in a park not far from a public library; and Jade hastened them inside and over to the computer suite, dropping a muffliatus spell on the three of them.

"From a device such as this, that most muggles have in their own homes, I can talk to muggles in any part of the world" said Jade "And one thing I can do is get Google to find me satellite pictures…..let me zoom in…..here we are a photograph of Durmstrang; and if I pull up a good enhancement engine – and by the by, I'm better at this than the average muggle which is just as well – ah yes, you can just make out that there is a quiddich match going on. I'm not sure muggles would figure it out because they see what they expect to see; but a really curious one with the right tools could actually bring this up to see photos of brooms. And this picture can be found by anyone in America, England, Japan, Austalia – ANYWHERE! And then a weapon could be sent to Durmstrang and goodnight Vienna! Muggles are dangerous – because they are humans like us; mostly they want to be left alone, but if anyone threatens that, they fight; and fight viciously. As anyone would. And there are a very great deal of them."

"Why, how many are there in Germany? Surely not so many we could not subdue them?" said Von Frettchen "They have no magic."

"No; but the muggle weapons we used on werewolves and stormwizards seemed remarkably efficient at killing them for all their magic" said Jade dryly.

He gasped.

"They were MUGGLE weapons?"

"Yes; and I tell you that to prove the point. Muggles are NOT helpless; and they are no different in their range of intellect to any wizard; so try not to display the ignorance and stupidity trained into you at Durmstramg by Karkaroff. It ill becomes your breeding. The muggles living on wizarding estates are often no more than peasants; depressed in learning and intellect by their birth as peasants NOT their birth as muggles. Here; let me show you the population of Germany."

Wikipedia brought up a list of the major countries and their populations. Von Frettchen gasped.

"Surely this is a lie to impress people!" he cried "There cannot be so many!"

"Of course there are" said Jade "Don't you ever GO into muggle cities? The population of the UK here, that is correct, just over sixty million; Germany for all its size has only eighty million or so, sparsely populated; most of its population probably live in the major conurbations like the Rhine-Ruhr complex. Let's see…." She typed in a search query for the population of Berlin "A little under four and a half million in Berlin; a reasonable size for a major city; and if you, a clever man, find this shocking, then the ignorant peasants of ODESSA who think they can rule with their inadequate and ill-trained magic and their lack of true power must be truly unaware of what they would hope to take on; our community is tiny and ODESSA has been taking steps only to reduce the population of the wizarding world even more. To a muggle, a school the size of Durmstrang is a small provincial school; typical secondary schools have as many as a thousand pupils in a city school. And each city will have many such schools; where they learn such skills as how to manipulate electricity and how to understand heritance; as well as such things as their history – and they do not have the advantage of studying ours alongside it – and literature and mathematics; their version of Arithmancy, that enables the design of such things as this computer and the building of bridges and machines and engines; even as it does our own arithmancers save that we do not build as many machines and engines as muggles because we use magic instead. Muggles make great machines to fly; those you must have seen in the sky, so high up that you cannot tell on the ground that they make dragons look small; a small one came to the Triwizard to hide the flying in of the Hogwarts contingent in obviousness. More people fly on these things every year to visit foreign destinations than ever were part of the Hun invasions back in history. The numbers of muggles are too great to even comprehend. Live with it; you cannot conquer muggles. And all those muggles probably carry some wizarding blood; the only way to encourage the wizarding population to grow in comparison to the muggle population is to be aware of and welcome muggleborn; rather than despising them and denigrating them and encouraging them, should it come to conflict between muggles and wizards, to throw in their lot with the muggles hence giving them magic AND technology; and then, goodbye wizarding world. And because you would have them untrained, all the knowledge would be lost. The ideals of ODESSA to keep wizarding blood pure and to subject muggles is as risible as a small child who says 'well if a troll comes into the garden I'll just blast it dead with daddie's wand and carry it away' in the lack of realisation small children have of the realities of life. Wake up and smell the coffee, Von Frettchen; welcome to the real world. Try to get a grip on it because if you don't I'll do it the other way and just dump the remainder of Gerhart's jolly boys into the same sort of hole in the ground we did to some of your bases and to that loathsome Russian fellow who kidnapped Sandalla."

He paled.

"Was – was that using muggle weapons?"

"Good God, no! We'd rather not use THOSE muggle weapons; too dangerous! Besides the use of them is detectable to other muggles. No, that was just simple ritual magic; required a dozen or so to be involved but with so small a place as that Teutenbergerwald lodge I could probably do it on my own" she considered "I'd rather not; it would leave me exhausted."

Von Fettchen was ashen and almost fainting.

Somehow her matter of fact consideration of probable exhaustion for doing such a monstrous thing was more convincing and frightening than the threat that she could do it; that might have been exaggerated.

Ritual! It had been done by ritual! The English were terrible and implacable!

"What do you want of me?" his voice was tired.

"I want you to encourage Gerhardt to one last, rash act; to try to physically take over the ministry. You and Agata and the school rescue the ministry, we all look good, you come up a hero smelling of roses. I also want the werewolves; so I can free them from their disease."

"Including the ones under the draught of living death?" he asked.

It was Jade's turn to pale.

"What?" she said "There are those so kept also?"

"Ah, something you did not know; I suppose that is almost a victory" said Von Frettchen with a wintry smile.

"Then you had better tell me or I shall stop feeling in any respect friendly towards you" said Jade coolly.

"There is a ruined castle; in its dungeons are some fifty werewolves under the draught of living death, kept against emergency; the prince has been dithering over having enough antidote made to use them, but the cost would be extortionate – there is not enough held in store."

"Wiggenweld's potion uses powdered unicorn horn" said Jade "As well as Phoenix feathers. Well! This I must pass on immediately; you will tell me the location of the castle."

"I could lie" said Von Frettchen.

" I would advise you not to; you're not a very good occlumens" said Jade coldly "For I think you are too proud a man to let me see so much of your discomfort just to fool my legilimensy."

"You are a legilimens? But – how did I not find out about you? I used legilimensy on you!"

"I am a better occlumens than you are a legilimens" said Jade "I trained from an early age; expecting to be questioned by Voldemort you see. It does, as dad says, concentrate the mind wonderfully. I was an adequate occlumens by the time I was eight years old. We in Britain, you see, had an efficient threat to fight against; it has given us more incentive to be good. There is little incentive against a buffoon like Gerhardt after all."

Von Frettchen winced.

"I – I will do as you say; but only to protect those wizards who look to me as their overlord. I believe you that ODESSA as it stands will bring trouble on the wizarding world now I have seen what muggles can do. And how many of them there are. Why, even if compulsions were planted in them, it would take every wizard alive a lifetime just to plant compulsions in all of them!"

"Quite so" said Jade, not bothering to point out that she was fairly sure she could drop low level compulsions in most of any country's population by using television. Just because one COULD do something did not mean one SHOULD.

Severus was horrified when Jade reported about the sleeping werewolves.

"All you can do, dad, is get the exam board to set the Wiggenweld potion for NEWTs; that'll increase the amount. And start collecting unicorn horns like they're going out of fashion too; there's bound to be someone who supplies them ethically" she said "And send out a team to search forests where they hang out to find unicorn horns. Hagrid can glean the Forbidden Forest; he has an instinct for such things. And he could use the dead place too, to search other forests!" she added excitedly "Only get Ross to disable his ruddy claymore mines first, Hagrid will never remember to look out for them!"

Severus gave a rueful grin.

"Alas, only too true" he said. "Yes; an excellent idea. And I'll go and see Von Frettchen too while he's still off balance."

"Good thinking, Batman" said Jade.

"Put your knickers back under your tights Robin" retorted Severus.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Jade was glad to get the new term under way; the holidays had been rather busy and the work would be a comparative rest!

She was kissed on both cheeks by Señor Carcano, who had been to see Lucius in the holidays; and Lucius had, on Jade's request, told Carcano the truth. Lucius had contacted Jade to tell her that he and Orlando Carcano had a mutually beneficial contract and that both stood to gain from it and Carcaono's fame was assured.

Jade hugged the Care of Beasts teacher back with genuine affection; his enthusiasm had given new meaning to his subject for her.

"Why did you not confide your secret in me? I would have kept it!" Said Señor Carcano. He was slightly hurt.

"I would have done; but I did not want to risk your safety" said Jade "And I would not tell anyone until the head knew. Herr Rebet guessed; but he had seen me brewing potions and recognised my style. If the Triwizard had involved hippogriffs YOU would have recognised my style; they're the only magical beasts I've had a lot to do with really." She grinned "Now, however, I have managed to subvert a senior man in ODESSA , things are safer that I can speak freely – to some. I should prefer that you did not discuss it however; there are those staff I should not like to know."

That it was her concern for his safety and that he was one of a selected few to know the truth mollified Professor Carcano somewhat. Also that Rebet had guessed. Rebet had, Jade knew, been suspicious; she had settled his suspicions with the explanation of being trained by the same person but he had not been particularly surprised to learn who she was. Jade did not think that she had been wrong to suppose he had guessed.

"Who does know? I should hate to betray you accidentally" Carcano rumbled.

"Madam Bacsó, Herr Rebet and Frau Schreiber" said Jade "I would wish to tell Herr Nagy but I am not sure how."

"You should let Madam Bacsó handle him, Fraulein; he is her countryman" said Carcano.

Jade brightened.

"But how clever of you, Señor!" she said "An excellent idea! I shall approach her with that suggestion!" she looked serious again "Did Lucius tell you about the need for unicorn horns also?"

He nodded.

"We shall be taking a trip in the hopes of seeing unicorns; I know where they congregate in the forest" he said "And we shall look then for shed horns. I can say quite readily that I have been asked to search by English counterparts for the English potion exam, since we have a different examination board. Professor Fraser is a most excellent young man, by the way; I was glad to meet him. Professor Hagrid also has much enthusiasm and knowledge but I wonder how good a teacher he really is."

"Very, if you're enthusiastic enough not to mind his outsize pets" said Jade "Hagrid's a sweetie – no-one calls him professor, it really doesn't suit him – and terribly knowledgeable and you can learn more just by watching him than by attending his lectures. David Fraser learned from him you know; so he must have done something right. But you have given me an enthusiasm for the subject that I never thought to have; you really are the best, and it's a shame you have such a small class."

"I shall be putting to the examination board the English idea of training for the care of domestic beasts" said Señor Carcano "Though I love to see magical animals in the wild, naturalists are never going to be common; it would suit the needs

of more to be trained to handle their own flying horses. Even if it were only a specialisation to ZH level and not, as the English have it at the lower exam, it would be something."

"Yes; for even if you had to teach that in the main slot, those of us who wanted to learn about wild animals would be happy to do so as a voluntary weekend class I should think; and those keen to do both exams could" said Jade "My cousin Hadrian plans to take both; and though there are two teachers at Hogwarts, he would happily take weekend lessons with Hagrid while Madam Grubbly-Planck taught the main class. He probably will be fitting in his Care of Big Scary Beasts around his other timetable; it IS a minority subject, especially as Hagrid is probably going to try to arrange a field trip to Belsornia or Romania to see dragons up close."

"Lucius says he can probably arrange for us to visit Belsornia" said Carcano, eagerly "Where they also have a distinct breed of flying horses!"

Jade hesitated and then decided.

"They are sentient" she said "It is why they are kept so secret and protected; it is said there is unicorn blood in their heritance too. But to a true scholar, I think the Belsornians would be tolerant."

"Ah! Magnificent!" he breathed in wonder. "Yes; they must not be pestered. I would no doubt not be allowed to record them on omnioculars; but that condition I would gladly take to have the chance to see them!"

"Such an attitude is like to give you the chance to get close to them" said Jade "I will write to Prince Consort Franz; he is a cousin of mine and he is the guardian and representative of the flying horses."

"I would take it as a great favour, Fraulein – I still call you Nefrita Von Strang?"

"Please" said Jade.

She liked Orlando Carcano.

She liked Attila Nagy too, if not as much; and went to ask Agata to break the news to him. Herr Nagy was inclined to be touchy and not a little paranoid at times – as any non German teaching in Durmstrang might well be – and Agata would know how to handle him.

Agata did.

She put it to him in a way that Attila Nagy understood that Jade had come to see to greater freedoms for non Germans in Durmstrang – which was one of the issues Jade WAS interested in – and to throw off the yoke of ODESSA from other countries. Which pleased Professor Nagy well enough. He had an innate sense of justice that accepted that Jade could scarcely come in under her own name; and when she next studied Transfiguration with him he gave her a nod, a smile and a look that told her that he now knew.

Jade was glad; she hated deception of people she liked. And Attila Nagy may have been rather arrogant but he was glad enough to debate issues on a level that was more interesting than school transfiguration!

Jade enjoyed her herbology lesson too; Madam Kluba gave a lecture on Mandrake – which was no news to Jade – and turned the class to removing mandrakes from their pots to be used for potions. She had prepared the class by explaining the two main methods of removing mandrake from pots, by stunning them with a hard bang before pulling them out, and by easing the earth away gently before using a _stupefy_ spell on them and quickly cutting away the greenery. The second method, she pointed out, made better potion ingredients.

Jade stuck to the method pioneered by Dione, using a spell to create a deep subsonic hum that both stunned the mandrake and shook the earth off it. Severus had determined that this method was better than stupefying it in terms of making potion ingredients; and Jade was a perfectionist about things like that. She also dropped a reverse _muffliatus _ spell over herself in case anyone else had less skill; they were all wearing earmuffs of course, but the scream could still cause unconsciousness even muffled.

Jade absently wondered it dropping a _muffliatus _on the mandrake and just pulling would have any effect on it as a potion ingredient; and decided that the trauma to the plant would not improve it.

She was working on a table with Rodica, who was the class star; and the protective spell covered her friend as well, which was just as well, since Xia Xuang managed to let her mandrake scream – or so Jade deduced – since the Chinese girl was the first to go down still holding it, and was rapidly followed by the rest.

Jade cast _diffindo_ on the top of Xia's plant to kill it quickly and moved out to check over the rest, who included Cacilia, Traudl and Bertel. Clovis Gierek, who had been a crony of Nachtigall, she felt less compunction over leaving to last.

Madam Kluba had superior ear muffs and moved to help.

"My dears! How come you were not affected?" she asked.

Jade shrugged "A spell to keep out noise; _muffliato externum_" she said.

"Remarkable! An excellent sounding spell! Well, they'll wake up with headaches in a couple of hours; not a lot to be done about that, the scream sets off all sorts of things in the head!"

"Excuse me, Madam Kluba, but I should like to try a chant; it is a form of curse after all and curses can be broken by chanting; Rodi, you're the poet, the thing had eight leaves, bring me up something about plants in octameters and I'll add counterpoint in ancient Greek."

Rodica nodded and extemporised starting,

"wretched leafy mandrake horror

causing lots of pain and sorrow"

It was a forced rhyme but good enough for the spur of the moment; and Jade wove her counterpoint of chant drawing forth the restorative properties of the mandrake from the root that had done the damage, that began to shrink as the unconscious young people moaned and started to move.

"Incredible!" said Madam Kluba "Of course it renders that root useless."

"It would have been poor enough quality anyhow" said Jade. "Do you have a quota to prepare for Herr Rebet?"

Madam Kluba looked faintly shifty.

"Not for Herr Rebet, no…. But I would like to prepare enough to….. the pay of a professor is not high" she added defensively.

"And, I understand, on a different scale if one is not a German national" said Jade dryly "Rodi and I will help you fulfil your quota, Madam Kluba."

The herbology teacher beamed.

"Oh if you would I should be most delighted!" she said.

"Show me your spell that got it out so easily please!" said Rodica.

"It is a subsonic hum; you set it up from the palms and direct it" said Jade "The incantation is _mani subsonici_ and it shakes loose the earth too."

"TWO useful spells in one day!" gloated Madam Kluba "The English schools are very inventive!"

"We are rather encouraged to experiment" said Jade "The external muffling spell is my own twist on an anti-eavesdropping spell. The other has been at use in English schools for a while I think; Professor Snape brought it to Prince Peak."

Rodica was a quick neat worker in any case, and she and Jade soon had finished all the mandrakes that Madam Kluba wanted; and the other class members were up and about.

"And I heard you had a filthy headache after Mandrake screams!" said Cacilia. "I feel fine!"

"Oh that's Nefrita's chanting" said Rodica "You should have been out for a couple of hours too; but you see it is only twenty minutes or so and you are back to normal!"

Madam Kluba asked Jade to demonstrate her subsonic spell for the rest of the class once they were ready to take it in; and Jade readily did so.

Spells, after all, that had useful functions, were to be used for the benefit of all.

"I bet it'd make a mess of someone's brains if you did it each side of a head" said Clovis Gierek. Jade was horrified! Such a use had never occurred to her!

"I don't know" she said "I should think that it would either have no effect; or leave you open to a charge of murder because if it had any effect it would destroy the brain utterly. I could try on you if you like" she added.

"I don't think so" said Gierek. Jade managed to catch his eyes and did a quick bit of memory manipulation. Gierek promptly forgot the idea and when Cacilia opened her mouth, Jade shook her head. Cacilia looked at Gierek looking faintly puzzled as though he had lost something, and nodded.

It took a bully to come up with a harmful way of using a useful spell!

The quarrel in the staff room following this was audible across half the castle. Rodica happened to be in on the first part of it as she had packaged up the mandrakes and took them to Madam Kluba to send off; whereupon Hedda Schrempf had sneered, regardless of there being a student in the staff room and said,

"Ah, slave labour from your pupils Kunigunde to get such a supplement to your income!"

Kunigunde Kluba had flushed and said,

"At least I can give them something in return since I am an adequate teacher and know my subject well enough not to be below the abilities of my own pupils!"

Schrempf had started screeching at her at this point and Rodica had quickly erected a shield charm and started to mutter the chant Jade had been teaching them to make a diffusion grid to defeat the Killing Curse; and as Schrempf had thrown the Cruciatus Curse she had been glad to have been holding the shield charm for Madam Kluba who stared in horrified surprise like a frightened rabbit at the word _crucio_ and looked amazed that it had not done anything. Rodica confessed to being angry on behalf of Madam Kluba, who was a gardener, not a duellist; and it had given her the strength she had secretly doubted possessing to stand up to Hedda Schrempf. Orlando Carcano had lifted Schrempf up by the arms from behind and carried her bodily to her own study and advised her to stay there until she calmed down and Kunigunde Kluba fell to weeping.

Rodica had then escaped.

It was a matter of public knowledge that Hedda Schrempf had been sent for by the head and that the shrieking match that ensued – at least on Schrempf's side – had been likened to drunken dementors fighting over souls. Schrempf had forgotten one vital point however; that Agata Bacsó had been a duelling champion herself in her time and was enough of a legilimens in battle to drop _silencio_ and _expelliarmus _on her as she tried to pronounce the killing curse and to tell her coldly – as relayed by a gleeful elf to Jade's group as the little creature served them at the evening meal – that her services would no longer be needed from the end of the school year.

"Heh, you've been to England" said Jade.

"I have carried messages for Herr Carcano" said the elf.

"Good; and if you find out who has NOT been to England, let me know and I'll find messages for them" said Jade.

The elf stared; his ears went up; and he kissed her feet.

"Now then! No need for that!" said Jade.

"What please is the significance of going to England?" asked Cacilia.

"There is a magic circle in place that breaks the compulsion to self punish" said Jade "Hell of a chant; eight hours non stop and Lucius sacrificed living heart's blood."

"Elf, we will all find errands if it is needed" said Cacilia. "So long as you don't kiss our feet" she added hastily.

Jade was in Ancient Runes next morning when she received confirmation that Schrempf was still in a towering rage; in the part of her mind that held the egophonic magic she heard little Elfleda's voice 'Nefrita Von Strang will not let you hurt me so!' and Hedda Schrempf's voice 'Nefrita Von Strang is not here!'.

"Excuse me" said Jade, standing; and apparated smoothly to where Elfleda was.

"But she cannot do that!" said Thom Billkvam "It is a non apparating zone in the school!"

"Perhaps you have not noticed this, but Fraulein Von Strang is somewhat more powerful than the founders who put that ritual in place" said Madam Schreiber, who had seen horror in Jade's face and suspected that the girl was more powerful than she herself could ever guess. If it was a matter of opposing ODESSA that had dragged the girl off, Agallisse Schreiber had no quarrel with that; Nefrita Von Strang, or Jade Snape, was more than capable of catching up. Besides, she did not like Billkvam or any of the satellites of Nachtigall; though now Traudl Mondschein was with Nefrita she was a much nicer girl.

Jade arrived in the Dark Arts classroom as Schrempf was casting a spell similar to _sectum sempra_ and Elfleda screamed in agony and terror as wounds opened up all over her body. Jade went to her, holding her own impenetrable shield up.

Schrempf shouted,

"_Avada Kedavra!_" and the flash of green light washed Jade.

Jade felt the scar burst through onto Nefrita's forehead and absently dropped a full body bind on Schrempf as she was quickly coming to the conclusion that pouring healing and power into Elfleda was not enough. She did not even need to voice _diffindo_ to slit her own palm and she laid the open wound onto the one nearest the child's feebly beating heart, synchronising her own heartbeat and using its own strength to make sure Elfleda's kept beating.

"Sofie, run to Herr Rebet and ask for a blood replenishing potion with my apologies for disturbing him, Kjell, go and tell the headmistress what has happened, Leva, Herwald, Arkadi, keep your wands on that woman in case she escapes the full body bind, if she does get creative" Jade rapped out. "Vöglein, are you feeling a bit better?"

"Oh yes!" said Elfleda "I can feel….."

"H'ssh" said Jade "I'll explain about it later. Sit quietly; I have to do something about Schrempf. And it's time I did something permanent."

She rose; cancelled the full body bind and started to walk around Schrempf chanting in the harsh accents of Ancient Egyptian, drawing hieroglyphs in the air with her wand. Schrempf tried to move and found that she was able to move any muscle save that she was rooted to the spot. She lifted her wand and Jade contemptuously flipped a finger that sent it flying, without interrupting her chant. That scared Schrempf badly; not just wordless wandless magic, but such done as a by the by!

"M – mistress?" she said.

In her head, Jade's voice echoed,

"Too late for that, you cow" and the chant went on.

Jade made a pulling movement with one hand; and the terrified first years heard a despairing wail from Schrempf that somehow became very thin as her ghost remained standing, screaming; and her body fell away with awful slowness. The headmistress came unnoticed into the room as Jade reached a hand into the insubstantial and said,

"Burn". The ghost burst into pearlescent white flames and started screaming louder. "Now run" said Jade, transfiguring into a huge, jade-green wolf that was part fey and able to interact with the insubstantial world of the ghostly; and Hedda Schrempf's ghost ran, ran clear out of the window, still screaming, with Jade's wolf form running after her, unconcerned about running in mid air. Jade mused that Krait had probably only managed the initial transfiguration to insubstantial to hug Myrtle because of being part fey; but then, Krait would probably have managed it without being a Malfoy. Her mum was like that.

There was a scramble to the window to watch Schrempf be run off, still burning, into the forest; then the Jade Wolf leaped back through the window and there was an equal scramble to avoid being near it. Jade resumed her form; saw the head; and curteyed.

"On your feet and show respect for the head you malodorous infants!" she barked.

The first years complied; save Sofie who was feeding blood replenishing potions to Elfleda.

"Nefrita…. Kjell tells me that Madam Schrempf was hurting Elfleda for no real reason and that you appeared and she said 'Avada Kedavra' and there was a green flash; is this accurate?" asked Agata.

"It is, Madam Bacsó" said Jade "I take steps to protect my fags and Elfleda was in great pain; I believe that Schrempf was sore at being in trouble over taunting Frau Kluba and decided to take it out on Elfleda whose elder sister slipped her control to join with me. Elfleda was dying when I got here" she added "And while I was taking steps to reverse that situation, Schrempf threw the killing curse. They don't hand these out like lollipops" she added dryly pointing to the new zig-zag scar, dripping blood down her face. "I lost my cool a little bit and decided to do something permanent."

"I – I'm not quite sure what you did dear" said Agata, going over to Schrempf's body, where she gasped. "Why – she's still breathing! But – but I saw her ghost!"

"Were you there so early? I apologise for my rudeness then" said Jade "in not acknowledging your presence; I was a little preoccupied. Still alive? I suppose it's what you get for taking Egyptian texts too literally" she added "I used an old spell to jerk the _ka_ out of the body; it was normally used to call forth a ghost-form of one already dead but I kinda adapted it; only the Egyptians also have two other parts of the human life force, the _bai_ and the _khou_. I guess the _bai_ or spirit was with the _ka_ but the heart or life force, the _khou_ has remained to keep her body alive. This thing here has about as much consciousness as mould on the wall."

"Still, it is politically good" said Agata "You were attacked with deadly force; but you have used spells that have left her alive – technically. She can go to a hospital to be cared for physically. There is no death to cause scandal or rebound on you, my dear."

"You're awfully good" said Jade in admiration "Will you have me take the ZB and ZH class to the end of the year?"

"I – yes, please my dear; there's nobody else so well qualified" said Agata "You had better take this child to the hospital wing."

"With your permission I had rather take her to my study; could you have her sister sent to her too, please? As for you brats, take your textbooks and read the section on jinxes and curses and write a six inch essay on one to three jinxes of your choice and their counters if you please; to be on Madam Bacsó's desk by noon tomorrow."

The first years blinked and meekly got out their text books to undertake the first piece of real work in the Dark Arts they had ever covered.

Jade apported to her study with Elfleda; and when Traudl came in presently she was cuddling the little girl with small Fyra at her side holding Elfleda's hand.

"They said she was hurt; what happened?" asked Traudl.

"She's all right now; but I had to take a measure I'd normally be cautious over without much preparation; I had to use blood magic to save her" said Jade.

Traudl paled.

"BLOOD magic? Isn't that dark magic?" she cried.

"Not a bit of it; UNWILLING sacrifices are dark magic; I made willing sacrifice" said Jade "It's what we used to help Harry Potter; it means now Elfleda can bounce the killing curse – as I had to from dear Hedda" quickly she told Traudl what had happened; and Traudl gasped.

"You are the greatest witch in the world!" she said awed.

Jade laughed.

"Oh, I'm half competent" she said "You wait until my kid sister grows up a bit; she's in the same year as Elfleda though she's two years younger; SHE's competent! And my mum surpasses me by far; it's just a question of mixing and matching skills creatively. And calling on my part fey blood. Elfleda now understands all that intimately; because she attached to me by bloodsong and to the other er, hundred and umpty people. And, Traudl, you must talk to the other big ones; I had wondered about setting up a bloodgroup here, those who were worthy and ready to fight for justice; but I didn't want to rush things. This has rushed things. And I need to know who would be ready to be part of it."

"I should think anyone you dubbed worthy would be eager to be a part of you" said Traudl, hoping desperately that Jade would find her worthy.

Jade smiled.

"I think I'd be happy to be a sister to you any day, Traudl; and with any of our special friends. But it may be that some find the idea unpleasant, or not for them. That does not make them less loyal friends or less worthy to fight for justice. You gain much – knowing that you are never alone, knowing that there are those who will always love and support you – but for some the idea of having brothers and sisters who are elves and goblins may be too much; or who fear for their own independence and privacy. You LEARN to block – nobody wants to share their deepest sexual experiences with their parents for example – and we block the ones who are born of it from pain. Though I suspect my son now sports a zig-zag scar" she added thoughtfully. "Yes; I have opened to Wulf; he is shouting at me for being at risk."

"He loves you so MUCH!" gasped Elfleda.

"Oy, stop eavesdropping, Vöglein!" said Jade. "Also, Traudl, we shall have to discuss what to tell the smaller ones; we have a custom – not always adhered to – of not blooding those under thirteen save for emergency; but I am half inclined to ask the babes in too; to protect them. Even if we bring ODESSA down quickly, there will be some trouble from the ones who will not lie down and play dead; and other factions rising when the threat of ODESSA is out of the way. Will you talk to Cacilia and co?"

Traudl nodded. "You look like you could do with a nap; you and Elfleda both" she said "Fyra will watch you."

"Yes; and I'm not sure we ought not to include Fyra and Alrik too" said Jade.

"Well I'll ask opinions; and that ought to test how far people do believe your ideals" said Traudl "Ritter will either back out muttering excuses or be all in; Volodya might think it nasty; Rodica might be scared of it. We shall see. Did – did you use this connection to win the Triwizard?"

"Certainly not!" said Jade "THAT would have been cheating! I am just good! If I had used the power of the group I should have been certain to stun a graphorn with spells; and to have cleared Wulf's blood of poison by a glance and focusing my blood on his to clear it through. We place our power at the disposal of whoever must be a focus; it's been Harry and it's been dad. But we are individuals with backup; and that's largely defensive."

"I'm glad" said Traudl.

Jade was confronted after tea by her friends in the sixth and by the three fourth year fags. Elfleda was there too and the two goblin children.

"We discussed it; and we're all in" said Cacilia.

"This is something that is necessary to give us an advantage in the fight against wrong-doing" said Ritter pompously. "It is too right to protect our underlings if this may do so."

"I did not realise I was strong enough to fight until I shielded Madam Kluba" said Rodica "We CAN; so we ought to."

"I do not want to fight but if I can give of my power for you I should be pleased and proud to do so" said Volodya "I can hope as well my music will stop others being quite so tone deaf. It will not diminish me?" he asked anxiously.

"No; no-one is diminished. Any may reach and draw on the knowledge of another; their instinctive knowledge" said Jade "It's how we apparate in non-apparation zones; elf blood."

"And elves have put themselves forward to fight and bleed for others and share the killing curse? That is loyalty" said Ritter. "One should always reward loyalty."

"Elves joined to you will be your siblings, Ritter" said Jade, quietly. "And goblins. We are one and equal in the group. Those with more experience lead; and when such give orders we all hit the ground running. Bertel? Lazlo?"

"It is our duty and our pleasure to back you" said Bertel.

"And it should be a good lark too" said Lazlo whose face said more than the flippant words.

"I would know, please" said Gisela Schutzmann "If Annet Breuer would approve before I agree."

"Annet? She blooded in last year" said Jade "She and her protégé; little Yrdl, whom she sponsors at Prince Peak; as we will sponsor Fyra and Alrik in due course. I take it the Asimov twins need no such assurance?"

"We once found a book on blood magic" said Zlatko "It was a bit muddled but it seemed to suggest that the darkness of the magic was determined only by the intentions of those who used it; though I must say, I'd be wary of someone who used the life force of one person with intention to heal another."

"If the one whose blood and life is being used is unwilling, then the intent is still murky because there's as much callousness to them as there is compassion to another" said Jade "And it wouldn't be a true sharing. It couldn't be; otherwise the life of the one that's ebbing away would cause the immediate death of the one being supposedly saved. It's why blood magic has often caused tragedy; too few people so death trauma is not shared round enough. With more people too, the chance of saving a life is greater; though not natural death of old age or an accident that causes immediate death – getting crushed in a sudden avalanche say or being sat on by a dragon. We can contact each other – individually or collectively – and pass a degree of information. Often that depends how close you are to someone; I'm particularly close to two of my sisters, Lydia and Lilith. You twins might end up with true telepathy such as can only normally be acquired with the deep joining; but the deep joining is a serious business not to be embarked on lightly and is marriage deeper than marriage. Not all the couples in the group have done it even; usually those of us where we have difficult or dangerous tasks, like being fagged for by half a dozen fags" she winked at Elfleda. "You are agreed to leave the young ones out?"

"It seems unfair to involve them – yet at least" said Cacilia.

"I am not sure all are suitable" said Bertel "My fag Yorick for example; and Lazlo's Adolph."

"I was minded" said Jade "To suggest the Eulenspiegels, even if not their cronies. As Marauders."

She had then to explain the Marauders; and how they chose groups each from the younger ones.

"You also do not want to be unfair to Sofie and Leva" said Elfleda "And I think Kjell would be good; but not so much Arkadi and Herwald."

"Out of the mouths of babes" said Jade "I think the Eulenspiegels go around with their cronies because they need SOMEONE; any objection to inviting them and the three Elfleda suggests?"

"I too would add in the second Zyrillis, Wencelada and Axel" said Traudl "Axel gives us another nobleman."

"My fag Grishilde is not the strongest" said Ritter "But she has the quality of loyalty and a desire to care for younger ones; she has agreed to take my half siblings as fags as they enter the school."

"Loyalty and compassion are great qualities" said Jade "Cacilia, I think Diliana is too conventional?"

"Yes" said Cacilia "Nice girl, devoted to me, but it would upset her."

"Then we are agreed; each of you to tell your own fags and we shall make a meeting…..let me see, we break up a day after Hogwarts and Prince Peak; before school on the last day of term" said Jade. "Fyra; Alrik; if we bring you in it will give you much protection; but it means too that you will then be pledged to dedicate your lives to helping others; regardless of race."

"Please lady, if you have helped us, we should help pass that on" said Alrik. "This I have been taught."

"Daddy says that if more people looked out for each other the world would be a nicer place" said Fyra.

"Hmm, maybe we'll have to consider bringing in your dads too" said Jade. "That's a date then; I'll let people know. Dad and co will sort out the necessary ritual items."

"What's that? You didn't use any with me" said Elfleda.

Jade winked at her.

"The cauldron full of hot chocolate and the crumpets to eat afterwards" she said.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Orlando Carcano had a treat for his three pupils; he had tracked down some unicorns in the forest and was hopeful that they might get close enough for a good look.

"I will stand back; they like women and girls better than men" he said "And Mr Buser had better too stay behind the girls."

The determinedly neutral Swiss boy nodded; he was willing to comply. Naughty Jade whispered to Cacilia that he was so willing to comply and to seem to give offence to no man he might as well be made of chewing gum to be mauled into shape by whoever had him in their jaws.

"Shall I see if I can get good shots for you on the omnioculars, Professor?" said Jade "I've had quite a bit to do with unicorns – Professor Snape knows a tame one whom he aided once who comes close – and I think I should be able to get pretty close."

"If you can, it would be wonderful" said Carcano.

Jade pulled about her the scent of unicorn as they approached the place the beasts had last been seen. Their steps made little noise in the still snowy forest, all sounds muffled too by the great quiet pine trees, snowclad and looking like Christmas cake decorations until you contemplated the vast number of them stretching on for who knew how far. The pine smell was but thin at this time of year; the smell of fresh snow and a thin, almost imperceptible drift of woodsmoke were all that caught in the nostrils, smoke perhaps from some forest cottage or maybe from the school itself, sinking down in the still cool air.

Jade saw the spoor of hooves first in the snow; and signalled with a hand. Carcano came and checked, and nodded.

They followed towards where the hoof marks led; then they were looking out into a clearing where several unicorns were gathered, pawing at the ground for meagre grass and moss. There was a foal among them, under two years old for the coat was still golden, unlike the aching purity of the whiteness of the coats of the adults, so white it made the snow seem almost grubby by comparison; and another foal a couple of years older, just a knob on its head to show it was almost four years old, ready to grow a horn.

Carcano handed Jade a bag of oats; and she set her omnioculars to record, charmed them to stay on her head, and walked forward, singing softly.

The unicorns looked on nervously. Jade held out a hand with oats in it.

The senior stallion came a little forward, protectively. One of the mares was pregnant, Jade noticed. Presumably like horses they birthed in late spring; that would be worth filming!

She scattered the oats; and the stallion sniffed them. Jade was singing still and reaching out with soothing thoughts, trying to do enough of a transfiguration to smell right.

The two foals, hungry and more trusting than the adults pressed forward eagerly; and Jade held handfuls of oats for them to lip gently and eagerly into their mouths, nickering softly.

And then she was amongst them; and the hungry unicorns were eagerly reaching for a supplement to their meagre winter diet with their soft velvet lips. They were so beautiful! Tentatively, Jade started to pet the pregnant mare, feeling out with her mind for the foetus to check that everything was all right.

The mare was carrying twins; and that might prove a slight problem.

Jade absently moved partly into feyspace to put a fey marker on the mare; she would check up on her periodically and see that she birthed safely.

Unicorns after all were rare enough to warrant intervention to make sure they survived.

She withdrew quietly and left the unicorns to it.

"Beautiful!" breathed Cacilia

"The mare is pregnant" Carcano whispered.

"Twins; I got close enough to run Scarpin's revellaspell" said Jade "She should be kept an eye on; I took the liberty, sir, of dropping a marker on her so I can use geomancy to find her any time; just in case."

"Very clever; and if she IS in trouble, she might allow YOU to get close enough to help her as she has smelled you up close and identified you as a helpful person; I am amazed, my dear Nefrita, for I have rarely seen anyone able to get so close; and petting them too! You are a natural with animals!"

"I do like unicorns; and winged horses too" said Jade. "I'm looking forward to the field trip to Belsornia if it comes off."

Frida Rundqvist the quidditch coach was complaining to anyone who would listen that the expulsion of Nachtigall and De Witt had ruined her first team because De Witt was an excellent beater and now she was short by one.

Professor Rebet looked up from the German edition of 'Transactions of the Learned Society of Potioneers' with a gleam of malicious amusement in his eyes.

"Put Elstrup in as beater" he said.

"Elstrup? But I have to play him as seeker as he's the only one crazy enough!" said Madam Rundqvist, wringing her hands.

"Oh? I fancy you'd find Nefrita Von Strang an adequate substitute seeker" said Rebet "I understand she's very good; I've seen her on a broom anyway, and I don't think you'd be disappointed."

"A girl from a school that was pretty missish until the English professor came? I doubt it!" snorted Rundqvist.

Rebet shrugged.

"Suit yourself; but I'd try her out before condemning her out of hand if I were you. The school plays the Frankfurt Furies this weekend, doesn't it?"

"Yes; and we shall have to cancel! It is the only honourable thing to do!" cried Rundqvist "They are expecting us to give them a good practise game!"

"Oh cancel then; but if I were you I'd try another option before complaining" said Rebet "Agata, is not Von Strang a good quidditch player?"

"She is" said Agata Bacsó who had just come in "I wasn't planning on interrupting her studies by asking her to play seeker for us; as it seemed a little rude too to Mr Elstrup when he stepped in at short notice after Anett left; though it's not really his position."

"Oh all right; I'll give the girl a try" said Rundqvist "But if she cries for her mummy if a bludger comes to near don't say I didn't warn you."

Agata laughed.

"What an odd idea you have about her to be sure, Frida!" she said.

Jade had brought her broom with her; one never knew when one might need it. She had kept to the Millenium Firebolt rather than upgrading to the newly released Firebolt 200; she could easily enough reverse engineer the charms that made the new broom so fast if she needed to; she had seen Lionel Dell's metal fairings that had been the inspiration after all. So when she received an order to come and demonstrate what she was capable of, she collected her broom and went to find Madam Rundqvist.

"What position did you play at Prince Peak?" demanded that worthy.

"Second team seeker; Jade Snape being the seeker" said Jade promptly "But I've reserved in chaser and keeper; I'm a little short for a good keeper though, you kind of have to be half acromantula I think"

"I'd like you to slot in with the first team in their practise against the second team" said Rundqvist.

"As you wish Ma'am" said Jade "What position?"

"We'll try you as seeker for now" said Madam Rundqvist. The girl was tiny! It was ridiculous to suggest she could play quidditch! She was hardly any bigger than a goblin!

"Are you guys telling me Herr Quabbelig or the Troll were seeker?" said Jade softly to Cacilia.

"No; De Witt was a beater, but Bertel is happier as beater than as seeker; it was between him and me but he pulled the crazier Wronski feint" said Cacilia.

"Heh, if that's all she bases seeker on she's a fool" said Jade "Didn't she play beater for the Gothenburg Giants?"

"Yes; she's retired before she gets too old" said Cacilia "She's all right, though not as good as Viktor Krumm."

"Heh; and he's a brother in blood – and soon to be brother in law" said Jade "He's sweet on my sister Lydia."

"I'm glad; he is a very decent man. We wept buckets when we thought he was dead" said Cacilia. "I think she does look for more than that; but her opinion is that a seeker should hold nothing back."

"I don't usually" said Jade.

They mounted up and began the game. Jade did not think the second team much of a challenge and proceeded to irritate their beaters, Claudette Reynault and Jaromir Frolik, by feinting after a non-existent snitch to tempt both to knock bludgers at her, and by diving away sharply between them and had the joy of catching from the corner of her eye the fact that each had been hit by their own bludgers. It had been a nice piece of timing requiring a sudden acceleration to leave one of the bludgers closer to Claudette than to herself; and Jade chuckled. The second team seeker, a coarse-faced girl called Erzébet Czerny, almost got caught by the bludgers too and swore in her native Hungarian.

Jade laughed; caught sight of the snitch and did a lazy broom-over to drop herself onto a course right above it. Czerny was onto her tail. Jade jinked and noted that the girl followed precisely. She pulled up in a steep climb; hard to keep the snitch in sight as well, but she wanted Czerny off her tail. Once the other girl was committed, Jade pulled her climb into an Immelmann turn and then dove for the ground.

Czerny pulled out of her climb in a hurry and followed; and Jade knew she had her, keeping the dive going, pulling out at the last minute into what was almost a reverse Immelmann, flying briefly upside-down with her head inches from the ground before pulling up with the snitch right in front of her.

Czerny crashed ignominiously and Jade reached out and just plucked the snitch from the air.

She stunted the broom and came in to land.

"Seeker for the SECOND team? Egil Skalagrimsson's bollocks! What is their seeker like?" demanded Rundqvist.

"Jade Snape was apparently reckoned rather good" said Jade. "It's a Malfoy thing. Draco was Seeker for Slytherin House at Hogwarts though I believe he played chaser in the all-house team against Durmstrang some years ago; ceding seeker to Harry Potter. And Krait Malfoy, now Madam Snape, was also a chaser on that team. I take it Madam Rundqvist that I played well enough to take the position."

"You did; why have I not seen you play before in practice?"

Jade shrugged.

"As an incomer it seemed discourteous to put myself forward" she said. "And too I have been adapting to a different curriculum structure. Am I to infer that we have a match lined up?"

"Yes; it is the custom to play one or more German teams during the year" said Madam Rundqvist "It gives them extra practice and the chance to scout."

"Ah; a sensible idea" said Jade making a note to suggest it to Severus and Albus. "Who do we play?"

"The Frankfurt Furies" said Madam Rundqvist.

"Hmm, a rather pedestrian style as I recall; as one might, I suppose, expect from a bunch of sausages" said Jade. "I don't want to do Traudl down, but isn't that girl Nurtazin in the fifth a better chaser than her?"

"Well – yes; but we always play the upper sixth as the first team."

"Ah? But you are a new broom Frau Rundqvist; it is up to you to institute your own customs. Traudl, how horridly disappointed would you be if you didn't play first team?"

"Not very; I'd rather keep my work up to scratch" said Traudl "I mean I enjoy a game of quidditch but I hate having to feel as though I should put it first; it's only a game for goodness sake."

This was sacrilege to Madam Rundqvist; who beckoned Zhanargul Nurtazin, a girl from Kazakhstan and told her abruptly,

"You're playing chaser in the first team."

Zhanargul was delighted and almost wept tears of joy.

She was by way of being almost royalty in the Kazakhstani wizarding world; and had come with her lady in waiting, Saula Kim, who had proceeded to outperform Zhanargul in all lessons bar quidditch; and the higher ranking girl was too honest – as well as being fond of her lady – to want Saula to perform less well, but to shine at something and to be able to write home to say that her performance might be caught on an obscure channel of the wizarding wireless was something that filled her with delight.

"Thank you Fraulein Von Strang" she said, having heard Jade's suggestion.

"Traudl is my friend; but we play for the honour of the school" said Jade. "Besides I doubt she's playing for any reason but that she was the best of the sixth and got volunteered."

"That's more or less the truth" said Traudl "Least worst of the rest; and struggling to make practise AND stop Professor Rebet from strangling me."

"You were dreaming just a little in class yesterday" said Jade "telling him that Amortentia was a potion to make you die horribly."

"I'd forgotten what the damn potion was, picked up on 'mort' in the middle and guessed" said Traudl "I can't say I think much of love potions; they're so silly."

"Spot on; but you need to recognise the name and effects so you can brew the ruddy antidote" said Jade. "You remember that of course?"

"Liberamore Major….liberAMORE, of course. Well I was worrying about this wretched practice and how it would eat into prep time…I've Herbology as well – as have you, Nefrita. AND Runes."

"Oh I did the Herbology essay today in the dining room over lunch" said Jade "so I could do the Ancient Runes this evening…. I managed the essay on Gollapot yesterday evening, if you want to read it through feel free. And we'll collaborate on the Runes now if you like over coffee and something sticky I wheedled out of the kitchen elves to have sent up to be waiting for us; if Rodica hasn't scoffed the lot while waiting for us to be shut of practice."

"Slander" laughed Cacilia joining them.

Rodica had got the kettle on ready; and the something sticky turned out to involve apricots, apples, thick icing and almonds and went down very well indeed.

The Ancient Runes work was, even Jade admitted, a pure bred beast.

Only the wizarding world had any partially translated texts in Linear A; and Jade was ahead of most people for having brushed up her Linear B to help her search for Circe's potion, to discover that the letter she was working on was tantalising in giving a major ingredient; having been a letter from Circe to a rare girl friend of hers – or possibly and more likely an admiring disciple – explaining joyfully that she had perfected the potion and gloating over some new boyfriend with rather more frank description than was strictly germane and was a little more biological than Jade might have wanted. Jade had tracked down the plant mentioned to Giant Hogweed; that was not perhaps entirely surprising as country names often reflected magical uses. However there were enough similarities between the two Linear scripts to pick out a little more from the text than they might otherwise have managed; and Jade went to alert Bertel, who did Ancient Runes with them, to use Linear B to help out with his translations. Bertel was glad of the tip! Jade paused a moment; then went to pass the same tip to Antonina Kotina.

Antonina was a rather strange tempered girl; she had been interested enough to have worked with Jade on the Bactrian script but gave her a suspicious look.

"I suppose you think that if you can hold me up with some plausible sounding but spurious suggestion you'll look better" she said.

"Actually" said Jade, coldly "It was a tip in good faith because I happened to have been studying Linear B for a potioneering project. But suit yourself" and she walked out of the study simmering. The Russian girl was rather inclined to throw fits of paranoia at times!

She sounded off to her own study mates

"She's sore because you got picked as seeker and look better than any seeker we've ever seen bar Victor Krumm" said Cacilia.

"Oh, do you think so?" said Jade "She's an adequate chaser but she hasn't got the – the chutzpah to be a seeker. If anyone ought to be sore at me, it should be you, Cacilia."

"Oh I bow to the master; besides, I'm happy as chaser" said Cacilia. "The Frankfurters should get a shock!"

Jade laughed.

"Staid lot though as I recall; professional team or no, I wager we can beat them – if we pull together. I DO hope Antonina doesn't try to show of and get us penalties by being tiresome" she said.

"If she does I'LL have something to say to her" said Cacilia grimly. "So will the unpronounceable Princess; this is her chance to shine and she knows it! Being a sports hero will help her image no end on top of her pure blood and noble lineage; and Antonina's tantrums won't impress her."

"Schoolgirl jealousies can be so damnably silly" said Rodica "Even I know Cacilia is a million miles better than Antonina; take no notice, she'll get over it."

"At least she's not spiteful" said Traudl "There are some, even by our advanced years, who'd try to er, pay you back for being you; Antonina will be a bit contrary but she's no side to her. Just a bit inclined to brood on her wrongs and think that everyone has it in for her."

Jade laughed.

"Rather like the Russian classics; sounds like a character out of Dostoyevsky. Or do I mean Tolstoy? Who cares! I prefer a good thriller to heavy psychological Russian depressive crap."

"And Cyrillics are a pain to read; too like yet not like Ancient Greek" complained Traudl.

"Ah well, at least our Volodya's only a musical genius and doesn't throw artistic temperaments" said Jade cheerfully "I think that's done the beastly thing; at least we don't have to write a washing bill in Babylonic Cuneform."

"What?" said Traudl.

"A line from a song; about the things this man can do that are absolutely no use at all because it was a satirical song about the inappropriate training for soldiers of the time" said Jade. "Dad sings it occasionally; we have a pastiche on it too called Modern Hogwarts Potioneer…. Oh all right" as they clamoured to hear it "It only works in English; you'll just have to keep up. I'll just change it a bit though to Modern Durmstrang Potioneer."

The girls laughed as Jade sang; and they returned refreshed to their preparation!

The Frankfurt Furies were all big beefy Germans who all found it funny to ask if Jade was the half time snack. Jade smiled brightly and said that unlike some people there wasn't enough flesh on her to make homophagy worth while.

That took a while to sink in; by which time they were ready to play.

Jade took great delight in leading off the Frankfurt seeker – who had patted her on the head and told her he'd show her what a snitch looked like after the match – on a quick chase having suckered him by acting furtively as though she was edging towards something. Once she had him on her tail she pulled a similar stunt to the one she had pulled against the second team's beaters, causing him to be hit by a bludger sent by his own team against her; and that, for Jade, almost evened the score against him. There was a time out for injury.

Their chasers were more successful than the school chasers; being more used to playing together, even if their tactics were a little pedestrian. Jade managed to dive in front of a Frankfurt chaser causing him to flinch away, such that the quaffle caught his shoulder and bounced where Cacilia could catch it; but it was not really her job. Ritter at least was making a good showing as keeper; and Jade jinked back and realised that the Frankfurt Seeker, having received first aid, had now seen the snitch. Jade got well above him. Height was speed – and distance. He was following the snitch tenaciously; and now Jade saw it too. Her counterpart was gaining on it yard by yard.

Jade dove.

It was going to be risky; she would have very little time to pull out but she could get just ahead of the Frankfurt Seeker and grab the snitch.

Jade's fingers closed on the snitch and her broom somersaulted.

The idiot had collided with the tail of her broom! Jade clamped her legs tight and willed the broom towards the blue, away from the white snow; and somehow she was rising, hanging upside-down on the broom by her knees; but more or less under control. She brought the broom in to land.

Madam Rundqvist was running to her, with the Frankfurt referee who had signalled a stop.

"That was a damned risky trick to put him off….are you hurt?"

"Not in the least" said Jade.

"Then why have you landed?"

Jade stared.

"Game over" she said "I caught the snitch just before he hit me; idiot ought not to be allowed out on a broom if he's so clumsy as all that!" and she displayed the snitch.

"Just BEFORE he hit you?" said the Frankfurt referee "Then the last goal from Frankfurt must be disallowed….. I saw you reaching, I assumed you'd missed because of being hit from behind. That's proof though; and therefore a win to Durmstrang – by ten points."

Rundqvist was staring; then she grinned.

"Well done, Von Stang!" she said "Well done indeed!"

The small radio station that was covering the event wanted an interview.

Jade laughed.

"Oh, I got peeved at being told I was a dear little girl and would be shown what a snitch looked like!" she said "For the benefit of listeners I'm around five feet tall and fairly skinny; and as tough as old boots. I saw he was on the snitch; and used a height advantage to see where it was rather than follow on like a stallion flying after a mare in spring. Viktor Krumm has said often enough, height is speed, speed is distance."

"What did you think when Braun clipped your tail?" asked the reporter.

"Oh I couldn't possibly say that – there are people listening" laughed Jade "It wasn't complimentary!"

"And what was your name again? And where are you from?"

"I am Nefrita Von Strang; I have German blood but I was raised English. Not that it really matters; quidditch is a game that knows no boundaries and has no side" she added "Because the beautiful game is all that matters. And I would rather be barged by a clumsy idiot who was not even aware I was above him than purposely as a foul; for the accident here was unintentional and an honest mistake as anyone might make. I have no time for those who feel that cheating to win constitutes a real win; they are the losers over all for having no true satisfaction in a game played to the best of your ability. It was a good clean game; and I enjoyed it."

"And how many ZH's are you fitting in around playing the beautiful game?" asked the reporter.

"Seven" said Jade "Though one is more or less in my spare time. I only got plugged in to play at the last minute anyway; because of a mishap to one of the team. So I haven't had time to get cold feet. I hope you'll excuse me; I NEED a cup of coffee!" and she made her escape before they could start being boring about her number of ZH's.

The Frankfurt seeker had not controlled his spin quite so well as Jade and was having a bone mended from where he came off his broom and landed on his arm.

"It looks like this" said Jade, holding up the snitch.

"You are the devil incarnate to appear out of nowhere!" said Braun "Did you apparate broom and all?"

"Of course not!" said Jade "That would have been a foul I'm sure! I was sitting right above you – I would have thought you'd have noticed me begin my dive; evidently not. 'A good seeker keeps an eye on the snitch; and at least half an eye and both ears on what's going on around him'. Viktor Krumm. Still, he's a man who flies like he has four eyes and eight arms. I'm glad you didn't hurt yourself too badly" she added.

"I don't know how you came out of it unharmed" he added sulkily.

Jade smiled and walked away, determined not to loose her greater intellect on him and point out that it might just be because she was a slightly better broomster than him.

Her team were delighted with her; and all came to shake hands.

"And I'm sorry I was sore about you being picked and about not believing you about Linear B" said Antonina "I'm too used to people trying to sabotage work by giving false advice; and to people getting the position on teams for their birth. You ARE good."

"Oh, that's all right" said Jade "I was a little hurt, but Cacilia said you'd probably wondered why I'd come out of nowhere to the team; I didn't even know Madam Rundqvist knew I could play – I WAS keeping a low profile to concentrate on work, but I guess as I was the deciding factor in De Witt going it was up to me to make up the team."

"And we made a better showing than if he had been on it" said Antonina dryly. "I'll listen to your advice in future – if you don't feel put off giving it."

"Oh I'm always happy to barge in and spread anything I've found out; it bores people no end!" said Jade "I'm banned from discussing my Bactrian inventory in the dorm on pain of being pelted with missiles from pillows to inkpots! I even started dreaming in Bactrian and had to be restrained from talking in my sleep; and that IS an unhealthy level of concentration!"

Antonina laughed.

"Just a little!" she agreed.

Jade was glad that Antonina was not going to hate her for being a good seeker; she had planned to put in a solid but not exciting performance until she had been patted on the head like a good crup.

It was not as though there was likely to be anyone watching who had seen her play for Prince Peak or for Slytherin House. Only Professor Carcano – whom she had heard cheering himself hoarse in Spanish – would have been watching her that closely for concern for his graphorn; and he knew her secret anyhow. The few who had had access to Wizarding Wireless Vision had not really seen her perform for long enough, close enough, to make any guesses. Perhaps Madam Rundqvist might guess; but there again, perhaps she might not. She had been a hurried replacement for Viktor; and not perhaps looking out at the skills of the visiting foreigners but more likely sulking that the Triwizard eroded the year's quidditch. She DID really rather seem to take the view that Quidditch wasn't a matter of life of death but was more important than that.

Jade grinned to herself.

Like Traudl said; it was only a game.

It was a game she enjoyed and was rather good at; but it was a game she had cheerfully put aside to study new things and to work against ODESSA . And she had not missed it that much.

And this was why, Jade reflected, she would never be a great seeker; because she would never put all her soul into it and prioritise Quidditch above anything else.

It was just a game.

And she liked to win.

But then, if the other players had not been so damned patronising she would not have cared if the school won, drew or lost so long as it was a good game and she played up. It was not perhaps a desirable feature that intense irritation made her drag out her best; but inspiration never came from everyday experience and humdrum existence. And it was not only irritation, she reflected; she played her best music when she had just left the arms of Wulf and was full of satiated happiness.

And from what she was hearing, her own crazy flying had lifted the games of all her fellows; and that might lead to contracts with teams for them if any wanted such, for the talent scouts came in force to such matches as these. Omniocular replays of various movements would be sent around various teams; and at the end of the year the lucky ones might get a whole sheaf of offers. Jade grinned to herself; she'd probably get a sheaf of such herself and would get writers' cramp replying that she had already accepted a teaching post at Durmstrang.

And she really ought to prepare her lesson for the ZP class on Monday.

Though almost anything had to be an improvement on what Schrempf had been teaching!


	17. Chapter 17

_Jessica, thanks for taking time to review, I'm really glad you enjoy both the Krait and the High Reaches series! you had me blushing... There's plenty more of both to come, 13 more Krait books completed and others partly crafted, and a pile of High Reaches stuff that Trancefan is helping me transcribe, as I have her under the Imperious Curse...  
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**Chapter 17**

Jade regarded the class of ZP students who had hesitantly risen to her.

"Be seated" she said "I fear it may be too late for you to get good grades after the travesty if teaching you have received at the hands of Schrempf; but for what it is worth, at Prince Peak where nothing of the Dark Arts, defensive or otherwise, was taught, of the five girls who manfully started from nothing and studied for two terms, one got an 'E', another got 'A' and three took 'P' which is not too bad considering. My age group, which had almost two years round had no failures and a decent crop of 'O' grades. You have had some foundation; and you were taught for some years by Helmut Hesse who I suspect brought you further than the last year and a half has done. We shall therefore have a brief revision of what you should know by this time; and we will start with dark creatures. Definition of a dark creature anyone? Nobody? Herr Wiesel, you're supposed to be brainy, give me a best guess."

"Uh…. Dark creatures hurt you for fun?" suggested Jochen Wiesel.

There were a few titters and Wiesel flushed.

"Essentially Herr Wiesel is correct; a direct and cogent answer" said Jade "The text book answer is that the difference between a dangerous creature and a dark creature lies in intent. Any animal will defend its young, its lair, its mate, its food source. A dark creature enjoys harming others; it has been hypothesised that some may actually FEED on negative emotions. And I expect you are thinking, half a minute, Madam Von Strang, does that not blur the edges? Yes it does. Though discussing the blurred edges is a ZH concept it is one that it will do you no harm to ponder. The dark arts and the creatures spawned by them are like a many headed monster; mutable and eternal. As soon as one head is cut off, many others spring up in its place, fiercer and more dangerous. The definition of a dark creature is intent. That is the only definition we can give because a dark creature, including a dark wizard, is an ever varying entity that can only be defined by a hatred of all that is pure and truthful. This is because the nature of dark intent is an inability to be true to oneself because a dark nature is – must be – essentially selfish and self seeking; and that means that honesty about oneself is very difficult. I shall not say impossible."

She looked around them seriously and went on,

"If any dark wizard arose who was able to be objective about himself and clear minded enough to be loyal to allies, underlings and tools without the fear that they will try in their own selfish jealousy to destroy him, that would be a true danger. For then that dark wizard, without conscience about consequences to those outside his own power structure would be utterly invincible and almost admirable. It is the desire to dominate not reciprocate that causes built in self destruction of most of those who would willingly embrace a dark path."

Jade resisted the urge to use Star Wars analogies. These youngsters would not have a clue what she was talking about. As it was, Jade wondered if it was going in as they were all staring at her. Well she would finish the spiel and then see what they came up with. She spoke again,

"I would further say that a wizard who immersed himself in the study of the dark arts for pure academic interest, caring neither what happened to others nor for his own image or power he too would be immeasurably dangerous; because he would have no weakness of vanity. Save that we who are academics always DO have the flaw of vanity; the vanity of knowing what others do not. And I could perhaps be lured off on a side trip to look at a manuscript on a subject that interests me that has just been discovered and can't be translated; because I hate to think of a text I couldn't translate!"

She smiled encouragingly at them before rounding off the introduction.

"And that is to illustrate that however tough a dark wizard or dark creature may be, they all have a flaw. Let us start by seeing what flaws you know in the most common dark creatures; let us start with the unfortunate werewolf who is only a dark creature – unless by choice a dark wizard – under the influence of the full moon. In that form, what flaws have we?"

There was silence.

"She HAS neglected your work, hasn't she?" said Jade "So none of you would have any idea what to do if attacked by a werewolf?" she looked around "Fraulein Mundnimbus?" the girl looked thoughtful.

"Silver?" suggested Hilde Mundnimbus.

"Good" said Jade "Werewolves have a vulnerability to silver; ordinary wounds will close up straight away but those made by silver will not. A werewolf is cunning but only with an animal cunning; no intellect during the change. Another flaw. There is also a spell that forces werewolves – and animagi, incidentally – back into human form. Does anyone…. I see a sea of blank faces; take up your pens and I will write this down upon the board. The incantation is _homomorphus_, literally man shape. It is painful. Who can list me the differences between a werewolf and an ordinary wolf? All right, I appreciate that you are all a little wary of trying; I do NOT punish wrong answers with the cruciatus curse. I might punish deliberately fatuous answers with lines. I want a volunteer to stand by the blackboard and write down differences; and I want a volunteer to wear the shape – not the reduced intellect – of a werewolf. I am an animagus wolf and I will stand beside the supposed werewolf while you look for all the differences. Fraulein Mundnimbus, you'll wear a wolf form? Thank you; and Herr Weisel to write; excellent. Herr Wiesel if you allow me…. There, your pen will now take the same notes you write on the board and Fraulein Mundnimbus also so your notes will not suffer for being my volunteers."

"Thank you Madam Von Strang" said Hilde.

"Indeed" agreed Jochen, who had hoped to get them written out fast as he doubted anyone else would lend notes.

Jade turned Hilde into the semblance of a werewolf; and made the change for herself into the huge mountain wolf form she favoured.

"The nose is a different shape" said Jochen. Jade thumped her tail in an approving wag. "The eyes – they have round pupils" he went on.

"The tail is tufted on the werewolf" said Stiv Molotov.

"The forelegs – the proportions are wrong" said Zhanargul "That is they are longer in proportion to the body than the true wolf; giving the stance a more raised appearance."

Jade wagged her tail for each of these.

"There is a crest of hair down the werewolf's back flowing from….well, almost a hairstyle" said Jochen.

"And the ears too are tufted and a rounder shape than the wolf; the tufts disguise that a bit at first" said Zhanargul.

Jade resumed her form and with nothing but a nod from her, so did Hilde.

"Most exam questions call for five signs; there are six clear ones as you have come up with and a few less obvious to do with the coarseness of the hair and the angle at which it grows from the pelt; NOT obvious things unless you are going to be up close and personal with a werewolf. Very well; get out your wands; I'm going to resume wolf form and you're going to force me back into human form. It doesn't hurt animagi so much; so go for it" she added.

The first attempt was pathetic; Jade barely felt a wash of intent on her.

She growled.

The second attempt forced her back, with more pain than she bothered to show. They needed to know how to do it after all!

"Herr Molotov's spell was the strongest on me there; but well done all" she said. "I believe we are out of time; your essay will be to pick three dark creatures and for those of you unused to having choices I name Kappa, Redcap and Pogrebin though if you wish to pick others, feel free; and to research what weaknesses they have. You may have the whole week this first time and you may confer. So long as I don't get several essentially identical essays with the paragraphs moved about a bit. Next week we shall be revising boggarts and the lesson after that reviewing your essays. And there goes the bell; dismissed."

She heard Saula say something to her mistress; and used legilimensy shamelessly to discover that the Kazakhstani girl had said that at least they had learned something today that had to be a nice change.

Jade went to see Agata.

"Agata, if I can catch any of those kids up to an 'A' grade in Dark Arts it'll be a ruddy miracle" she said. "They didn't know the signs of a werewolf; I doubt more than two of them could name me three dark creatures off the top of their heads and if they've heard of any dark spells bar the cruciatus curse, I'll eat my broom!"

"What if I gave them a remedial class too?" said Agata.

"I'd have to drop one of my studies; well I guess I have forgotten more about Transfiguration than most people ever learn to ZH" said Jade "And that's a fiction because I have it at NEWT; I think I'd like to take the exam. I could drop Potions too; I have a private project I'm doing but if I'm not doing the prep too, which is mostly a repeat of what I've done before, I can read any notes the others have in case Professor Rebet covers anything from a different angle to dad. Actually I could just walk into the Arithmancy exam and breeze it; I'll give up that not potions. I'll go tender my apologies to Professors Nagy and Meyer."

"I will tender you apologies for you and tell them that I have asked you to do this for the good of the school" said Agata. "I am glad that you feel that we can teach you some things you have not previously known."

"It's stray details in Herbology that I haven't actually picked up; but I'm loving care of beasts, and the project Professor Rebet set, and the different texts in Runes!" said Jade enthusiastically.

Agata smiled. Jade Snape was far more interested in the world of academe than in trying to rule Germany and its satellites!

There were six students in the Dark Arts ZH class; Traudl and Ritter were allies but the rest were late of Nachtigall's gang; and although it had fallen apart rather, Jade was wary.

Traudl, Ritter and – to her surprise – Clovis Gierek rose; followed a little reluctantly by Franzisca Schiff and Stepanka Frolika, who followed Gierek's lead. He was the one who liked poisons; he had made racist comments about the young goblins but at least he had manners. Unlike Thom Billkvam who stayed resolutely seated. Until that is he rose with a yell and a degree of smoke arising from his nether region.

"A trifle tardy in your courtesies, Herr Billkvam" said Jade "The rest of you may be seated; Herr Bilkvam I suspect you may be more comfortable taking the rest of the lesson standing; the chair is cool again now however if you wish to experiment with sitting down; and there is no lasting damage to your posterior. Herr Gierek?" the youth had raised a hand.

"Herr Billkvam is sorry for his discourtesy, Fraulein Von Strang; may I ease his discomfort? I can guarantee that he will be no more trouble in your doubtless original and excellent classes."

"You may ease him Herr Gierek; your concern for your friend does you credit" said Jade "As you say, I am a little more original then to use the cruciatus curse as the only form of discipline. Anyone who irritates me might wish I were so limited; because you people have a lot to catch up on. At least you had a good grounding to ZP under Herr Hesse; have you been reading the text books in your own time as well to cover such ground as Fraulein Schrempf was too incapable to teach?"

"I have" said Gierek.

"Good; I would strongly recommend that the rest of you who have NOT done so should put in extra hours in your leisure time in addition to my lessons since you have otherwise had almost two wasted years" said Jade "Theory is not everything; and one of the things I propose is to make sure that you all have a corporeal patronus by Easter. I will not object, if you have a free period, if you wish to sit in on the ZP class as revision; you might find it valuable because I may cover subjects Herr Hesse found less important; we all have our priorities and foibles. Now, as you have had a thorough grounding in the unforgivable curses I thought we would utilise the lesson time today debating WHY they are unforgivable; and which, to your mind, is the worst and why; and I warn you now you'll be writing eight inches for me on the subject – more if you get enthusiastic but I shall only require eight inches – as your homework. I am happy for you to make notes while we discuss this matter."

Gierek at least was looking enthusiastic, having sorted out the Norwegian boy's scorched backside. Jade fancied that Gierek was an enthusiast for the reasons that her father was; the sheer fascination of the variety.

"Would you give us a definition of the Dark Arts, Fraulein?" he said now "You told us that you had forgotten more than Fraulein Schrempf ever knew; and she has never really defined it."

"Ah! An excellent question" said Jade "The Dark Arts are hard to define, especially for a second rate mind; because the Dark Arts are ever-changing, mutable and many headed; that every time any should apply a counter to them, cuts off one of the heads, like the Hydra, more heads of surpassing fierceness grow in its place with more cunning and tenacity then before; and those who would counter dark arts must be capable of being more variable and cunning and adaptable. The concept that defence against the dark arts is weak is a fallacy promulgated by those who would wish to believe that those who would counter their – usually inadequate – efforts are weaker. The major definition of the Dark Arts, Herr Gierek, is those arts that employ any and all methods to attain a given goal without compunction or any degree of interest in the consequences of others so long as the goal of the user of such arts is attained. Can anyone tell me why this causes a flaw from the very first if such principles are carried to their logical conclusion? Herr Kesselring?" Ritter had raised his hand.

"Because the dark wizard then is essentially so selfish that he does not give any care to anyone – friends, family, followers – which apart from diminishing him because he has abandoned any kind of noblesse oblige means that essentially he must play a lone game and will receive no true loyalty because when he gets reverses, his loyal followers aren't any more" he said.

"Quite so. The dark wizard who says 'I care not for the consequences EXCEPT to those I value' is a dangerous man indeed because he has true loyalty of those he counts his own. Voldemort expected absolute submission from his vassals and was not loyal in return. He made them kiss the hem of his robe; it gave me the idea to make Schrempf do that, not because I wanted her as a follower but because I wanted her neutralised so far as I was concerned. I got irritated with her" she said. "She was spoiling for a fight; so I gave her one."

"What was the chant you used on her? She had us try to analyse it" said Gierek.

Jade laughed.

"You could analyse it until you were black in the face; a chant on the fly is essentially made up as you go along, or an appropriate piece of poetry used and tied to the intent; once it is tied to the intent, the repetition an arithmantically sound number of times causes the effect. I knew the effect; I copied it from a piece of cursed jewellery I had come across. It amused me to use a Hebrew prayer for peace recited backwards. If you used it without the intent, it would do nothing. Some chants – usually simple ones – can be learned by rote and if you know what they are supposed to do they will do it. Complex chants are written for a specific incident. When breaking curses they are almost always written entirely on the fly in the spirit of 'oh shit I have to fix this'. The most subtle arts are those that mess with people's heads; confundment is a mild expression of this and used so often to protect us from exposure to muggles that nobody actually considers that it is a minor dark art. Voldemort took his head messing to some extreme; into every one of his followers he planted a compulsion to obey him when he spoke command words in Parseltongue – incidentally I AM a Parselmouth, several Malfoys are – that they would obey like automata and then FORGET what they had done. Voldemort was ALMOST subtle. Especially as he was a half blood reared as a muggle and had to reinvent a lot of stuff."

"He was a half blood?" said Gierek, shocked.

"Son of a stupid but handsome muggle and a witch who was almost a squib; blood doesn't count. Power counts" said Jade. "Was my definition satisfying, Herr Gierek?" he had at least written it down.

"Eminently, thank you Fraulein Von Strang" said Gierek "Effectively, someone who sets out to rule and damn the consequences is going to cast a stinging hex in their own foot if they fail to take the proper precautions to make good friends?"

"Essentially, yes" said Jade "You see, if someone set out to use the dark arts to rule because they thought they were the best person – and so it was PROPER for them to do so – and maintained their friendships they would probably do very well. But the point about those who choose the dark arts as their course in life – dedicating themselves wholly to it, I mean, not studying this fascinating and many-headed art – do so because they feel they need it as an advantage; a trick to make themselves one up. And that means these people are starting off feeling that they are already one down or they would have the self confidence not to NEED to put others down. They would just laugh at criticism. They are generally people without friends and feel they are owed something by the world; and so are unable to make friends because they will not go half way because others should look up to them; which means we see the Dark Arts used – in the main – by small people. Voldemort, born Tom Marvolo Riddle, resented his silly sounding name – even sillier in muggle ears – and grew up feeling he had a grudge against mankind, and resorted to bullying and torturing the kids in the orphanage where he lived. When told he was a wizard he said that he knew he was better than everyone else. To claim to feel better than everyone else is generally a sign of an inferiority complex; because if you really ARE better than everyone else you don't actually need to make a song and dance about it. Yes, I was childish when I taunted Schrempf; I still have some growing up to do. After all, I'm not yet eighteen. But if you can accept a degree of childishness in yourself and agree that you need to grow out of it, you will. Tom Riddle never did. It was not enough for him to have a power beyond the comprehension of the other orphans in the muggle orphanage; he was outraged if those at Hogwarts school did not give him due deference too. He learned to hide it; but he still FELT it."

"He sounds a pratt" said Traudl.

"He was" said Jade "A powerful pratt but still a pratt. Needing to hold his compulsions over his followers just in case they wouldn't actually walk through fire for him of their own free will" her voice showed her contempt.

"You don't hold it wrong then to use the dark arts?" said Gierek.

"The province of Dark Arts can be awfully blurred" said Jade. "The unforgivable curses have been so designated as some of the worst spells any oik can learn to use. There are depths to the dark arts so frightening that only the most depraved would consider using them. I could, if I applied the right stimulus and was patient about it, make you willingly beg to be buggered by a troll in order to get the reward that I could addict you to, Herr Gierek; THAT level of depravity. I could make a spell so that every time someone spoke my name I drained them of a little bit of lifeforce; dropping their lifespan by, say, three and a half minutes and increasing mine by three – some power is always used for the operation of a spell – that if I made myself sufficiently famous could make me essentially immortal. Vulnerable still to murder or accident, but in other respects essentially immortal. I shouldn't like to live forever; after a time I should think it would get wearisome. But I can see a non dark use for that; as a counter to a debilitating, life-draining curse, used to restore someone, either with the consent of those doing the egophonic restoration or by those willingly giving their life force thus. Which, incidentally, loses less power on the way because willing participation channels things more efficiently; like blood magic. Willing sacrifice is always more powerful than unwilling and we shall touch on that at a later date. Now! Herr Gierek, which is the worst of the unforgivable curses?"

"In light of what you have said about messing with the head I should say perhaps the Imperious curse" said Gierek.

"I happen to concur with that opinion" said Jade "But to some people the idea of a death you cannot defend against or ultimate pain may stand out as more important. So far as MY opinion goes, pain either drives you insane, when you don't care any more, or ends. Death is only a passing through the veil. Being controlled is something I would fear. THAT is what you should consider for your personal opinions; which of them do you fear most? Traudl, have you an opinion?"

"I thought it would be the cruciatus curse; but I am not sure now, because I don't like the idea of being controlled" she said.

"If you argue well, I will accept an answer of 'actually I'm not sure' so long as you place valid reasons about why each is unforgivable" said Jade. "Any other thoughts?"

"Going back to you saying those who would rule are inadequates, surely might makes right?" said Stepanka Frolik.

"Actually, I did not say that those who wanted to rule are inadequates" said Jade "If you would argue a point, do so from the insight of actually arguing the point, not what you have half-heard the point to be. I said that many who want to use the Dark Arts are inadequates because it's all that have to lift them above their murky and friendless little existences. Those who would rule and choose to use the dark arts alongside normal means – those who rule the art and are not ruled by it – may actually make very good rulers. Gellert Grindelwald was almost great; but he took too many short cuts and was ruled by the art. During his time in prison he acknowledged this and died a hero, defending a secret from Voldemort. And for his ultimate insights I honour his memory."

Stepanka scowled. She had meant to make a stand of insolence but being ticked off like a small child for not arguing the real point was rather an anticlimax. Especially when Nefrita Von Strang made representations of admiration for the very example she had planned to use!

Jade, who had ruthlessly used legilimensy on Stepanka grinned secretly to herself that she had whipped the carpet from under the girl's feet.

"I think that the killing curse is worst" said Franziska Schiff "I don't want to die!"

"Nobody WANTS to die" said Jade. "Do you fear death, Fraulein Schiff?"

"Yes I do. Who doesn't?"

Jade grinned.

"The elderly witch who has so many ailments that medication can do nothing to heal them and who must choose between pain or potions that also cloud her mind; for her death may be a blessed release from a situation which has become intolerable. Though even so, many do cling to life, any kind of life; and some, even at the point of death, cling to that travesty of half-life that is to be a ghost rather than pass beyond the veil to an unknown existence. We KNOW it is not oblivion however; or how would portraits of the dead be imbued immediately with the same personality of the person they represent and be able to offer opinions – louder and more dogmatic in the cases of some than others – that reflect their world view? I do not want to die; but I do not FEAR death. If I were killed now I should RESENT it like mad; but that's different. I have noticed that portraits tend to represent a slightly more tolerant viewpoint than they held in life – I suppose a lot of things become less important – which means that Phineas Nigellus Black must have been the crankiest and most intolerant of old bastards in life, though that's neither here nor there. I think when those of us of our age contemplate death it is with a sort of embarrassed feeling, that death is nothing to do with us; we are young and we are setting out on life and the universe lays at our feet; mortality is not something we generally consider. However, remember that I grew up in the Voldemort years in England, where youth was no protection from death or torture; wherein the families most notorious for opposing Voldemort taught the shield charm as a matter of course to their children years before they were eligible to use wands. Nachtigall got quite put out about the English being able to cast wordlessly and wandlessly; we had a great incentive to learn, I can tell you! I could cast _expelliarmus_ with conviction long before I went to school; I'm not really unusual in that. My family was acting covertly against Voldemort; a damnably nervous situation! I recall thinking to myself, if he attacks us, 'please let me die quick and clean with the killing curse, please don't let him torture me or control my mind' so you see, some beliefs of what is good and what is bad can come from personal experienced. Anyone who has watched a relative die by the killing curse is likely to find it the most horrifying thing they have ever seen."

"But you BOUNCE it!" said Franziska resentfully "We all heard the stories!"

"That is because of my use of judicious blood magic" said Jade "As I might as well tell you; and I will tell you now that blood magic is the strongest defensive force in the world but the likes of Voldemort or the average dark wizard cannot use it; that I find a highly amusing irony."

"Why not?" asked Gierek.

"Because for it to work, there has to be an equal sharing. In the blood pact that was entered into for Harry Potter, as is outlined in Professor Snape's work 'Blood Magic, Love Magic' those who pledged to bleed and die for him did so out of love for Harry; but Harry is actually a great man, and when it turned out from that experimental pact that he could equally feed power to any that had joined it, he welcomed that and embraced it. Such would have sent Voldemort incandescent with fury, and though it diminished him he would have slain any who had made such a pact because it made them his equals. Because such a pact can only be entered into with a sense of equality; otherwise it doesn't work properly. Voldemort made use of a blood sacrifice given willingly to restore his body; the sacrifice of a hand by a devoted follower who adored and loathed him in equal measure and was too snivelling a creature to ever prove any threat; and even so, having replaced the hand with one of magical silver, Voldemort had it enchanted so that any thoughts of disloyalty led to the hand strangling Peter Pettigrew. The other blood he used was blood he thought had been wrest unwillingly from Harry Potter; in fact it had been given willingly by Harry because the willing use of his blood for the furtherance of the plans of his own supporters placed a betrayal in Voldemort's own new body. Blood magic is a risky business – blast, there's the bell!"

"Are you tied up after the break or might we carry on, Fraulein?" asked Gierek.

"Well if you've the enthusiasm and don't mind losing a free period I'm game" said Jade "Though if we do it every week it might erode your free study time; why don't we all go for a coffee and a toilet break and reconvene, those who want to. We've more or less moved onto free debate now, which is a valuable part of ZH level studies; when thinking for yourselves is more important than churning back facts."

"What can you tell us about the practicalities of blood magic, Fraulein Von Strang?" asked Gierek after the break.

Stepanka Frolika and Thom Billkvam had not returned; the other four had.

"The simplest, and most commonly encountered, is when a young couple have a baby and the mother or baby look likely to die" said Jade "When the father in wild grief cuts himself and applies the blood with a haphazard ritual to save the life of his wife – usually – by sheer force of will and his own life force. The child is joined to the mother by blood; once a blood pact is entered into with only three in it, the death of any one can be a sufficient trauma to kill the other two. THIS is why blood magic is so widely touted as dark magic and militated against. Actually it does not really come into the scope of this class at all; since it isn't really a dark art, not when you take the definition that the dark arts are essentially a matter of intent. Even as a dangerous creature is one whose instinct is to protect the species is not a dark creature. Blood magic is neither dark nor light, it is the intent with which it is used that makes it one or the other. The dark uses of blood magic are manifold, varied, and essentially not especially efficient; you have to sacrifice the lives of an awful lot of virgins to get the precise same effect as may be gained by a few drops of blood from a willing virgin. It's a question of channelling; if I may use an analogy, most people find it impossible to cast spells without a wand; or at best very difficult. A wand is a focus. Some of us have practised from an early age so that the focus is a very finely tuned will; again, the incentive of having the chance to escape if captured by Voldemort and tied up and deprived of a wand was rather great; because it was a very real possibility that could happen. ODESSA doesn't have the same fear power because it's run by an offensive little nutter with a fat arse and a fatter head; and I've met him so I speak with confidence. He has as much grip on reality as a house elf on butterbeer. However that's by the by; the wand focuses the spell; willing participation in a ritual focuses the ritual. As simple as that. Intent again; intent to interact is powerful. Chanting a chant will get you nothing but a sore throat unless you focus your intent through the chant. Same thing."

"You are actually saying that the Dark Arts aren't very powerful" said Gierek.

"The Dark Arts, as understood by most people, indeed as used by most people who consider themselves skilled proponents of the art, are often a short cut" said Jade "Initially apparently very powerful; by using methods considered unethical by many a great deal of sound and fury can be produced but as The Great Hack would put it, signifying nothing; and my fag Sofie would wince to hear me mangling Shakespeare quite so freely after declaring that if one must quote one should quote correctly. Let me see, two of you are taking Transfigurations too; I imagine the rest of you have heard them groan about the use of Gamp's law and its exceptions. Part of Gamp's law states that the summoning of matter is harder than summoning energy because energy must be used both for the summoning and for the coalescence of the material into matter."

"Oh is THAT what it means!" cried Franziska "Why didn't you put it in plain language like that when you were arguing with Professor Nagy?"

"Because I assumed you had already covered and understood that" said Jade "Sorry! But the point I'm trying to make is that any cretin can pull forth huge amounts of uncontrolled but very destructive flame that is a quick and easy thing to learn; but it actually takes a measure of mastery to call forth something not only solid but that you have made sufficiently permanent that it will not dissipate into mid air as most of such things do; which is why one of Gamp's exceptions is food, because it will have no nutritional value because it will dissipate within the body."

"I wish you were teaching us Transfiguration too if you CAN break it down to that simple" said Franziska.

Jade hid a sigh.

"Look, I'll run through anything you want me to in prep time if you like" she said. "But I MUST help you people catch up your Dark Arts; whilst all the arts are intertwined we do have artificial separations at ZH level to make it easier to learn and apply the various laws. I could make the analogy even simpler; by likening the majority of the dark arts to a hammer. You can use that to crush many things and destroy them; but is that always as satisfactory as learning to cast _evanesco_ to get rid of them utterly? Let us take the cruciatus curse for example; by torture using it, one might make a stubborn enemy speak. But it has been observed throughout history by wizards and muggles alike that torture makes a prisoner say what he thinks his tormentors WANT to hear; which might not be accurate. The imperious curse can be subtler, telling the victim to tell the truth; but it leaves room for a strong willed person to conceal some of the truth; they obey by telling the truth; BUT NOT THE WHOLE TRUTH. It takes a sight more effort to learn legilimensy; but with that skill one may turn the inmost thoughts of anyone inside out. And, unless they are skilled at occlumensy, without them even knowing. It's slower to learn. Voldemort had the sense to realise it was worth learning; so those who were spying on him had to be even better occlumenses than he was a legilimens. But Voldemort also used the Cruciatus curse for fun because he was a petty minded sick little puppy like the unlamented De Witt. Anyone who gets kicks from the pain of others has a serious weakness because they cannot rise above it and usually cannot resist dealing pain even in a situation where that increases their own risk; and when they do it to their own followers they are asking to be betrayed. It is self defeating. Also inefficient. I HATE inefficiency. There are those dark arts that ARE efficient but so very few would-be dark wizards actually take the trouble to learn them because it IS a trouble; because they must apply themselves to other arts not merely the quick and easy unforgivable curses. Hedda Schrempf picked the quick and easy – and inefficient – path."

"What did you really do to her?" asked Gierek "I've heard wild rumours."

"First I lost my temper which is a bad thing to do; because it leads to inefficiency" said Jade "I believe in absolute loyalty to my fags if I would have absolute loyalty from them. She was using a spell on Elfleda that would have, had I not been as good – and as ruthless – as I am have killed the child. It is a multiple _diffindo_ spell that cuts all over the body; I think the way she achieved it was from a slightly different angle from the spell I know, but the result was much the same. I had to chant and some other stuff. Because I have blood siblings, I shared the killing curse around for several nasty headaches instead of chanting up a grid to diffuse it – which was developed by Harry's crowd – because I was more concerned for Elfleda's life than for some of us getting headaches. The rest agreed; the whole point of a blood group. So, I was pissed; I had a headache; and I was starting to feel I had to do something permanent. I used an Ancient Egyptian spell; and being angry made the mistake that the Egyptian spells divide the essence of a spirit into three. So her body lives as an empty husk with no spirit in it, for that I jerked out of her to turn involuntarily into a ghost. It was initially used to summon the semblance or simulacrum of a dead person from beyond the veil to ask advice or to gain knowledge; summoning it from a living body is a trifle more exotic. But I should have altered the spell more to bind all parts of the consciousness together instead of letting the language separate them; it was sloppy."

"Fraulein Von Strang" said Gierek with feeling "If you call that sloppy and consider it inefficiently done, I hope I never piss you off when you're feeling efficient."

Jade laughed.

"Well, we can never improve if we are satisfied with only good enough, can we?" she said. "Good grief! It's lunch time!"

"It's been the best Dark Arts lesson I've ever had" said Gierek "Thank you; and now I see why you laugh at those like Heinrich who say that defence against the dark arts is only the weak side. I hope you'll be showing us some defences."

"I certainly will; if you are willing to learn" said Jade. "Now sod off; if you're not hungry, I certainly am!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Jade knew she had diverged from the syllabus somewhat; but establishing a rapport with the class had been essential; or at least keeping the interest of the stronger minded. She strongly suspected that Clovis Gierek had joined Nachtigall's gang because it stood for old fashioned German racist values. Franziska Schiff wanted power; but Franziska Schiff had been sitting there listening too, and assimilating that she wanted power in order not to be one down, and had been angry at being manipulated. Jade noticed her talking to Traudl afterwards; and hoped that Traudl would say the right thing. Jade was strongly of the opinion that most people who joined gangs of bullies either did so for personal protection or drifted into it because the leaders were 'the right people to know' in society. The rest of course were the true bullies, who could be divided up into the genuinely nasty and those who bullied because that had been bullied; and who might or might not be salvable. Jade thought Billkvam and Frolika had both drifted into knowing the 'right' people but frankly if neither cared to put in the trouble, she did not much care; both had a sneering attitude that never seemed to slip, as one might expect it to slip in a class they were really interested in. Ritter was with Stepanka Frolika for Charms – she was only taking two ZHs – and declared that the sneer never slipped for that either. Which as Stepanka was no great shakes at either of the subjects she was studying seemed a little counterproductive.

Jade concluded that the attitude was not then armour; her own father might have worn the same sneer to drive people off before they had a chance to let him down but he could never hide his fascination with either potions or the dark arts. Stepanka Frolika might be sneering to hide that she was out of her depth; but if she only half listened in her other class as she had only half listened to Jade, that was probably her own stupid fault; and if she did not care to ask, then that was her problem. As for Thom Billkvam, he was so convinced that his own point of view was the only right one that he had no room to actually learn anything because he preferred his own misconceptions to facts.

"That Norwegian Nutter would burn to death rather than evacuate a building if someone had sold it to him on grounds of being fireproof" she said in exasperation.

"I understand that his grandfather gave him a book on the theory of magic pre-dating Adalbert Waffling and it had some muddled ideas in it that he learned before he came to school and became convinced that everything not in the book was wrong" said Traudl dryly "He used to quote it regularly; it had been written by some dogmatic old fool who presented his own pet theories as though they were proven facts. Professor Panov – he teaches Charms – was always arguing with Thom at first until he finally gave up. Professor Panov is nice; and really clever and I dithered over following on with charms on those grounds; but even he couldn't cope with Thom's didactic idiocies."

"I suppose he survived Ancient Runes because the old fool didn't actually write any weird translations" said Jade "He's quite good at unravelling runes; but he still sneers."

"Leave him to suffer if he won't accept your pearls of undoubted wisdom" advised Cacilia.

Jade nodded; she would not let a pair of idiots upset her first foray into teaching.

The next ZP class was to be a practical one; and Jade had brought along a boggart. Gierek was sitting in on it as well and she gave him a cordial nod.

She was horrified to find that the class had never actually had practical experience dealing with a boggart, though Professor Hesse had covered the _ridikulus_ spell in theory.

She had planned to revise the subject by seeing how well they coped in any case; so it was a needed lesson.

"Herr Hesse said we would practice in the fourth" said Jochen Weisel "But Fraulein Schrempf said we didn't need to."

"Hmm" said Jade "One can't help wondering if that was because she had trouble dealing with boggarts herself and so preferred not to risk looking silly. Well ladies and gentlemen; I had better review the way you USE the spell; saying the word is no good if you don't force the changes to something ridiculous onto the boggart. I'm happy to help with any suggestions if anyone can't think of anything and I can always get the damn thing back in its box. Boggarts are natural legilimenses; they read your inmost thoughts and darkest fears. Defeating a boggart is also half way towards defeating your own fears because you can discipline your mind to make those fears trivial."

The greatest fears of more than one of the class involved Hedda Schrempf; and Jade advised picturing her being touched up by a randy troll who was essentially immune to the cruciatus curse.

"Or a Graphorn on season" she added.

There was much hilarity over that concept and most of the Hedda Schrempfs were safely chased away.

Everilda Widder was a problem; as HER boggart was of herself made ridiculous – her robe tucked into her knickers in front of the whole school. Everilda promptly burst into tears. The boggart started to advance; and Jade growled at it until it fled.

"Gosh, Fraulein, how did you do that?" asked Hilde Mundnimbus.

Jade shrugged.

"I overcame my greatest fear and so I only see a wee black mannie" she said "A boggart fears more than anything that humans should find out that it is frightened of them. That's one of those dark creatures that are a bit grey around the edges; though they feed to some extent on negative emotion, the boggart uses its legilimensy and fey illusion magic to protect itself. I almost feel sorry for them. But a boggart is part of your training towards strengthening your will against worse dark creatures; and as they can appear in anyone's home you have to be able to get rid of them. Fraulein Widder, the only thing I can think of to deal with that is to pick someone you really do not like, and picture it being her – or even sillier, him – and use THAT to defeat the boggart."

"Thank you Fraulein; I will try again if I may" said Everilda.

Heinrich Nachtigall with frilly knickers showing was a most satisfactory image; and Everilda succeeded on forcing it back into the box.

Jade had taken in their essays and looked forward to finding out how much they might or might not know.

And Jade, being Jade, started work on marking the essays straight away; having taken them to the staffroom.

"You prefer to work here to being in your study?" asked Professor Rebet.

"For marking" said Jade "That way if I hit any real howlers I can share them without it being unfair; one should not laugh about students in front of other students nor expose their more amusing misunderstandings. It's a question of ethics."

"Very laudable" approved the teacher of history of magic, Frau Fabeln. "I have to say I groan more than laugh over my students' howlers but there have been a few worth sharing."

"Like this" said Jade "The Kappa is a Japanese water demon and you can find two weaknesses to it, one that it bows and empties the fluid out of its head and the other that it likes cucumber which is proof enough that it must be a dark creature because cucumber is evil."

The staff room laughed.

"Food prejudices aside that's at least accurate" said Rebet.

"It could have been a bit more fully expressed" said Jade "Still, I can work on that. I'd relish advice; should I answer the deficiencies by writing such things as 'why does it bow?' and 'Why is there fluid in its head?' and note 'Accurate but not a very full answer' or is the last sufficient? I don't think they've had enough input from that woman to be able to work on just the last comment."

"I agree" said Agallisse Schreiber "They are used to being screamed at that something is wrong with no explanation over why it is wrong. To such a howler Hedda would have screeched 'stupid, stupid, stupid!' and put pen through the lot. You need to baby them a little at first even though they should be used to terser comments from the rest of us."

Jade nodded.

"Thank you; it's nice to know my gut feeling is valid" she said; and proceeded to write the comment that the answer was not full then added the questions after. She went on reading, making the odd note mostly on a similar vein until she collapsed in helpless giggles.

"Sounds like a good one" said Rebet.

"It is" said Jade, fighting to stop laughing. "A dementor is a dark creature that causes despair even worse than Herr Rebet in a bate and sucks out souls if they catch you. Its weakness is the English who eat them for breakfast so if you are faced with a dementor you should persuade it to attack the English."

This caused much hilarity.

"I have never" said Herr Rebet "Been compared to a dementor before"

"I have heard it said" said Jade "That Professor Snape has been called a dark creature in an essay before now; and cited as a weapon against dementors because he'd scare them just by glaring at them."

"Then I shall permit myself to be mollified by being in good company" said Herr Rebet.

Jade started giggling again.

"The same student is of the opinion that as well as eating garlic to put off vampires, you should force vampires to eat pickled gherkins so at least you can smell them coming" she said "I have to actually give credit for picking quite ambitious dark creatures; I suggested three for those without an imagination and this student is at least determined to be different. Her third creature is a banshee, and she cited the banshee's weakness as being tied to a particular family and so you might consider wiping out the whole family if the banshee kept enough people awake to make it worth while, or sterilise them all or just play Katti Krächzen singing 'Come and Stir My Cauldron Hard' to drown her out that might be worth trying to scare dementors with as well."

"Dear me! Music critics as well as food critics!" said Rebet, wiping his eyes "Thank you my dear girl; I haven't laughed so much in a long time; poor children, they are sadly lacking and I wish you every luck in bringing them on; but I wish you will write those better ones out in the staff howler book."

"There's a staff howler book? And to think I thought Durmstrang was a bit dour!" said Jade "EXCELLENT!"

The seniors second class was a bit less successful.

Neither Thom Bilkvam nor Stepanka Frolika had written their essays.

"Might I ask why you have not written the essay I asked for?" Jade fixed her gaze first on Billkvam. He shrugged and yawned deliberately.

"I really couldn't be bothered" said he.

"I see" said Jade "Fraulein Frolika, your reason?"

"I don't see why I should; I couldn't be bothered either" said Frolika.

"Very well" said Jade "As you both have obviously got too much work to do with your many other subjects perhaps I should ask Madam Bacsó to take your names off the ZH list for this class; since Herr Billkvam at least seems to be very tired and incapable of undertaking the work."

"It is not that I am incapable! I did not feel like it!" said Billkvam.

"No? Then perhaps I do not feel like forgoing my own study – which I am – in order to try to make sure the two exam classes have some chance of at least a pass" said Jade; and her voice was like the lash of a whip. "If those essays are not in my hands before breakfast tomorrow I will not continue to have you in my class and you will forgo the right to sit the exam. I will put up with your presence today unless you wish to withdraw from the exam entirely from now; in which case go quietly and get on with some private study. If you stay you will be courteous and try to show an interest in the class; as I should not really need to say to anyone over about twelve years old. Now as you have wasted the time the others have in necessitating my pointing out of some facts of life, I expect they will explain what they think – later. Today we are going to have a practical and work on patronuses. Traudl, Ritter, you can produce corporeal patronuses; perhaps you would demonstrate."

Both were happy to do so; Traudl had a wolf and Ritter had a unicorn.

"We haven't studied how to do it at all" said Gierek.

"No; that's why we need to work on it" said Jade "And I will also teach you how to destroy a dementor if there's time; if not it must wait to another week. By the way I take it that you CAN all hold a shield charm?"

"Not very well, no, Fraulein" admitted Franziska.

Jade sighed.

"Another omission to go on the list" she said. "I'm covering it in a couple of weeks in ZPs – oh no, you do transfigurations, don't you, Franziska; I'll run an extra class after school for ZP and ZH students who feel shaky with it; no shame in that, you've not been properly taught. All right, back to the patronus; most people use an animal of some kind that seems appropriate as a protective creature. Ritter picks a unicorn; coming from a family of nobility and reared on tales of riding into battle, the horn here symbolises a spear. I have seen a knight used as a patronus; and Lucius Malfoy, who is the world's biggest show-off, has a dragon. It doesn't matter; though generally the patronus symbolises something about yourself; and may change according to your circumstances; such as being in love. Something about one's loved one may appear in the patronus."

"What is your patronus, Fraulein?" asked Gierek.

Jade flicked out her wolf patronus.

"A lot of people at Prince Peak picked wolves and those animagi are often wolves too, because of those kids who are cured werewolves who, many of them, go on to be animagi" she explained "A pack of wolves harrying dementors is worth seeing; and Herr Professor Snape's snake hissing like a kettle. I like wolves; they have more of a sense of dignity than dogs" she decided not to mention her father's alternate patronus, the doe; it was too personal.

"And there's no real limit?"

"Not so far as I know; I believe magical creatures are harder to formulate and people are supposed to be very hard. I've seen weasels, owls, falcons, dogs, tigers, wolves, snakes, and almost anything you can think of. I hypothesise that Señor Carcano would use a big snorting bull. The only limit is what you can visualise; because you have to visualise the energy form being to summon it from your wand."

"It is impossible to make a human form as a patronus" said Thom Billkvam.

Jade regarded him; concentrated; shot out her wolf in the process of changing into the human form of Wulf.

"Sez you" said Traudl.

"A rudery Fraulein Mondschein that should be beyond a girl as old as you" said Jade "Pray apologise for the form in which you couched the comment."

Traudl flushed.

"I apologise for being all American" she said.

"Accepted on my part" said Jade "Herr Billkvam are you content to accept the apology?"

"Oh I don't care" said Billkvam "But I don't see how it could be a man form; Professor Klaus Witter clearly states that a human form patronus is impossible!"

"Perhaps he had never met anyone with above average talent honed in the cauldron of war" said Jade sweetly "It is easy to theorise when your theories are not under threat of physical violence; a lot of people made up a lot of new things on the fly during the Voldemort years; including a spell to destroy dementors."

"But you CAN'T destroy dementors!" said Billkvam.

"You are in a contradictory mood today" said Jade and bit off a comment about maybe it was the time of the month for him; such sarcasm to a pupil of hers was unworthy and unfair. "You have, I believe, covered summoning dementors; let us go down to the great hall where there is more room and YOU may summon a dementor so you may be assured that is what it really is and no simulacrum; and I shall demonstrate for the benefit of the rest how to destroy it."

Billkvam could not really protest as he had chosen to stay in the class; and duly, with much fumbling, succeeded in summoning a dementor. The class cowered in horror and fear.

"_Ri-de_" said Jade firmly.

The dementor started its nasty laughter.

"Laughter is the natural enemy of a creature that causes despair; a pogrebin is similarly susceptible to a tickling charm" said Jade "The gelastic horror of this creature has robbed it already of its ability to spread waves of despair as it despairs more for itself. When you first do this you will have to keep your wands trained on your target until it explodes in crepitantly insane mirth. I have the experience of dealing with these creatures to keep half my mind on destroying them and half on continuing a lecture. Here we go" as the despairing and painful guffaws ripped the dementor into pieces.

"NICE!" said Ritter.

Billkvam was most upset.

"It SHOULDN'T be possible!" he said.

"Herr Billkvam, if you meet a dementor that isn't under your control, are you going to argue philosophy with it or try to kill the damn thing?" said Jade. "Well, if I don't get your essay by tomorrow I suppose you'll have chosen to argue philosophy. Just remember, you summoned it and promptly lost control of it; summoning isn't enough if you can't control what you summon."

Work on patronuses went ahead and Jade was pleased that most managed to get at least something from their wands.

And on the morrow, Jade received two rather sulky young people handing in the bare minimum of eight inches.

On the whole the essays were well thought out; Jade had tackled Gierek's first being a good twelve inches of well argued points on each of the unforgivable curses and a well written conclusion that the imperious curse was indeed the worst because it had the most insidious effect. Jade underlined 'insidious' and wrote 'nice word!' by it. Gierek had added that the imperious curse came closest to true dark magic in being relatively subtle where the other two unforgivable curses were by comparison crude in effect. Jade graded him 'O'.

Franziska argued that the idea of being dead with no counter was the worst because it was the one that could be used to threaten people and keep people in line by threatening their family. She had not described the other curses so clearly, so Jade graded her 'E' and wrote ' this would have been an 'O' grade answer with a little more detail on the other two curses; about two more lines on each would have been sufficient'. If the girl had some encouragement it should lift her grade for trying harder!

Traudl had written fully but rambled a little in her conclusion that she could not decide ; Jade was able to grade her 'E' too and wrote 'a full answer but a little discursive; could have been more clearly presented. I suggest you write notes about the points you wish to make to put them more clearly in your mind.'

Ritter's choice was the cruciatus curse because he felt sure he had the strength of mind to throw off the imperious curse but feared insanity from an excess of torture as he had heard had happened to some of the opponents of Voldemort; and Jade was able to grade his full answer at 'O' too.

Frolika and Billkvam had fulfilled the conditions of the essays – barely; and had at least made conclusions that had some vague semblance to logic. Jade graded them both 'A'; they were never going to be top students.

She looked up previous grades and found neither had done well under Schrempf either; Traudl and Franziska had also scored low and Ritter had been an 'E' student. Well, hopefully even with Schrempf's erratic marking system they should all improve – apart, perhaps, from her two unwilling ones.

Their loss.

Jade soon settled down to teaching twice a week and the howlers reduced in number as her younger class became more knowledgeable. She began to have hopes of them actually achieving a pass mark, though she warned them not to expect too high a grade.

"Oh Fraulein Von Strang, what are we to do if we get a poor mark? We shan't be able to take it to ZH and you have made it all so very interesting I for one should like to study further!" said Jochen Wiesel.

Jade hesitated then decided.

"I shall quite likely be teaching full time next year" she said "And frankly, considering the lack of teaching you've had, I would consider accepting down to a 'P' grade fail providing the class average grades of the fail student had been on or above a pass mark most of the time; on the proviso the said student retook the ZP at the end of their lower sixth year whilst studying the ZH class too. Anyone who was really keen I would be glad to give an hour or so to extra each week. You've all been badly let down; I think some leeway might be allowed because of that. So work hard in class; most of you are achieving 'A' grades and a few of you take 'E' on your essays. Just do your best in the exam; try not to name Katti Krächzen as a dark creature and stay calm in the practical for your boggart; and keep practising your shield charms. There's nothing to stop you practising on each other in the dorm; so long as you sort out any jinxes that get through! Now I'll have seven inches on common cursed items from you for next week if you please and if you MUST practice cursing items for your own amusement keep the effects amusing and not too drastic; I heard tell of a bunch of kids a year younger than you at Hogwarts who copied an artefact and conned half the intellectuals in the place into putting it on – it was a diadem – and chanting a silly verse in the hopes of getting more intellect – and it dropped a delayed action babbling curse on them, though I've heard it said unkindly that nobody could tell much difference. So stay as creative as that and I might talk you out of trouble."

"How did they manage a delayed action curse?" asked Zharnargul, who thought Jade wonderful.

Jade laughed.

"Library work, my little birds; library work. You can't pull a good jape without library work; otherwise all you come up with is the stale, flat and uninteresting rubber spider deadfall jape and the likes. A doorway that turns everyone who goes through it stripy in orange and black – I have a cousin who is obsessed with tigers; she and her bunch were third years when they did that – that's a bit more original than a deadfall."

They goggled at her; not one would even know how to START doing such things. Jade sighed. She could not like most of this year; the ones that weren't decidedly nasty were rather of the consistency of sago between the ears. Zhanagul, Jochen and Hilde were a bit of leaven in the lump; and Zhanargul wrote rather well. Jade had written congratulations on her style more than once and now rarely had to mention that the style was good if the substance a little lacking. Jade had every intention of keeping an eye on the girl; being as wealthy as she was, she might like to set up a branch of Wizarding Wireless Vision and feel personally involved by writing for it.

Moreover Zhanargul was starting to shine; which her lady in waiting was not, for Saula was clever but not original and could not grasp the concept of the many headed and mutable aspects of the dark arts. It was nice for Zhanargul to have another subject other than quidditch in which she surpassed Saula; and if she was to grow up to be one of the leading citizens of her own country, recognising the snares of the dark arts might save the child's life; and Jade actually decided to say so to her seriously one day when Zhanargul hung back to help her tidy up.

"Do you think so?" said Zhanargul "My parents are not keen on me learning the Dark Arts; only you've made it so interesting."

"If I was teaching from ground zero I'd have put in a lot more defence than I've been able to; but if you'd like to join the English Customs Hobby Club, we study English defensive techniques and run to increase stamina to maintain spells longer" said Jade "I think that you NEED to know what can be done so you can recognise and nip in the bud any would be revolutionaries or ODESSA -like organisations in your own country. The dark arts carry a fascination because of their variety; the reason I study them. Study of them does not make one a dark wizard so disregard Saula's criticisms. Do you want me to write to your parents?"

"Would you mind?"

"Not in the least; only for my own, very good, reasons I am here under pseudonym. I'll be teaching here under my married name next year; but I'll write to your parents as Jade Snape, which is who I really am; I'm here to bring down ODESSA so I hope that would reassure them. Quite a lot of people know now, certainly all the English Custom people, the head knows too, so it's nothing hole in the corner. Only if your parents have heard of my dad they know what we stand for."

"Everyone has heard of Herr Professor Snape; my father says he is a remarkable man."

"Good; then I'll do that. One thing you'll learn next year is how to resist the imperious curse; and to YOU I shall teach occlumensy. You might need it."

It was a bit embarrassing that the girl had a bit of a 'pash' on her; but she would grow out of it. And it did Zhanargul no harm to have a decent role model in Durmstrang.

The fifth had evidently taken Jade seriously however; or some of them had. She walked into the staffroom to do some correcting right on Frau Schreiber's heels; and the collective shrieks of the staff alerted her. She glanced at the big mirror and saw the green spots on her face and Madam Schreiber's. Jade whipped out her wand and checked the door posts.

"My apologies – this is my fault" she said _"Finite incantatem!"_ She added and was rewarded by the disappearance of the spots. She checked the doorposts, now innocent of spells; not quite so efficient as Bella and co!

"Why did we briefly have dragonpox?" asked Frau Schreiber.

"Well, you see, I set my fifth years to researching curses and cursed items and told them that if they were tempted to curse anything for a jape they'd better jolly well be original about it. This is almost original" she added "Not entirely but all but three or four are a bunch of puddings from the neck up. I mentioned a doorway that turned people orange and black striped….. it's about the most original work any of them has done to date, you have to admit….. better to scare the staff than terrify any other little kids I'd say actually, so they've displayed a degree of sensitivity too."

"Yes, that was well thought out" said Agallisse Schreiber.

"You're not going to let them get off scot free are you?" said Agata.

"No; I'm going to put those responsible for perpetrating the prank on their honour to write out their methodology for giving the staff a horrid moment that they might be quarantined and unable to escape the brats for the holiday" said Jade calmly "And I shall temper it with faint praise that they have not frightened youngsters else they would have been finding a heavier impot. Trusting the honour of kids usually works wonders; save with those that punishments don't touch anyhow."

Jade's announcement at tea had a few red faces mostly attached to giggles; and a certain amount of general outrage in the school that the staff would be more interested in escaping for the holidays than in the contagion of their young charges. Agata had to admit that Jade's dry laconic English style had the youngsters taking notice of her; and warmed even more when the perpetrators sent a written apology signed by all of them to the staff room for causing any serious worry; which Jade had not asked for. Leaving things to honour and conscience seemed to work – at least with the better children, thought Agata. It was interesting that of the four, three were those suggested by Jade as prefects – Hilde, Jochen and Stiv; the fourth being Zhanargul. Agata asked Jade about this.

"In English schools, generally the liveliest imps of mischief – and I mean mischief, not trouble – are the ones who settle down to be the best prefects" said Jade "They are the ones who have the best imagination; and imagination is what a prefect too needs. We do have a phrase 'set a thief to catch a thief'; not meaning literally someone light fingered, that would be quite wrong; but that one who has perpetrated mischief knows best how to catch it and deal with it quietly and unofficially. If I was a prefect and it had been done to my study I should have perhaps made them write a poem about dragonpox or to have seen how many shorter words they could make out of it whilst shut up in the detention room; or indeed made them write out exactly what they did. But it would not be even reported to staff unless the punished felt the prefect punishing was too heavy handed; when it would go for arbitration first to the head boy or girl and thence to a member of staff if satisfaction was not gained; and a risk to the punished for woe betide any that wastes the time of the staff over something trivial if the punishment IS mete; because they're likely to have it doubled. I like the fact that they had the honour to own up and apologise off their own bat; I think that shows them as prefect material. Fair minds. Zhanargul's come on no end since she's been playing in the first team and also she's good at dark arts. From a rather sullen, withdrawn child I'd say she'd blossomed no end; she HAD been rather in Saula's shadow."

"Do you know everything about all the children from back before you were teaching?" Agata was taken aback.

"Pretty much" said Jade "I WAS head girl in Prince Peak – all the prefects vote there for one of their number incidentally – and you get into the habit of keeping an eye on the kids, checking out what's wrong with that one, why this one is suddenly woebegone and so on. Like a headmaster or mistress but in some ways with even more knowledge because as you are still a kid, the other kids are more likely to open up than to a teacher; and to carry on chatting in front of you. I can't stop the built in instincts of being head girl I'm afraid just because I'm not!"

"The wonders you've wrought on the grades of those in your club – indeed generally – if I had to pick a head girl I'd have picked you" said Agata. "WHO do I choose for next year? Our pupils are not ready to vote!"

"Either Serafina Payutina or Konstanty Masicwicz" said Jade promptly "Velma's likely to get too immersed in work; fine for a prefect but not for head. Serafina's a bit dreamy but she's kind; Konstanty's a bit sarcastic, but he'd be loyal to the school. Actually, make him head boy and Serafina deputy; then the little kids can go through her. Pompilia is next best so you can make up four in each year; she can be a bit poor in judgement but she's decent enough beyond her desire to suck up a bit to nobility. Then this four in the current fifth; and will you have prefects in the fifth that is to be?"

"Not yet I think; yes, the twins are rather the obvious choices. Let us have it established amongst the seniors before taking it further down the school. You'd think with thirty odd in each year there'd be some choice!"

"A muggle once worked out that one person in twenty is a leader. Generally we have a slightly higher proportion here than in general because we have the children of leaders of society; but even so, one in twenty will lead their fellows. And two to three others to be second in command. Four per year is about right."

"Well my dear, I bow to your knowledge on that" said Agata.

It was the middle of one afternoon that Jade stiffened as she felt Lilith in distress, confused and befuddled and a little scared; then she was joining with the rest of her blood group, synchronising her heartbeat, clearing away poison that ran beyond the level of the confusing and befuddling draught. It was quickly made safe; and Jade was reaching out to Lydia.

Lydia explained that it appeared that someone had done a switching spell and that Padfoot was on the warpath.

Padfoot would take care of it; nothing like a hound dog to care most tenderly for his best friend's children.

Jade sent a pulse of love to Lilith; and left her be. It was none of her business to interfere and Lilith probably would not thank her for it anyway.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

The first team played another quidditch match against the Strasburg Swans; and this team gave some respect to the Durmstrang seeker after having heard of her prowess on wizarding wireless!

Jade almost did not play, having sent excuses for a couple of practises as she had homework to mark; and when Madam Rundqvist complained that she did not take quidditch seriously enough retorted that she certainly did not take it as seriously as undertaking a duty of care to those who required coaching to hope to pass the exam subject she was teaching and that Madam Rundqvist might look up in a dictionary that the definition of a school involved the passing of information and that a game involved enjoyment; and that the school team were not, nor were they supposed to be, professionals nor playing with a professional level of concentration and that any school child, unless too dim to excel at anything else, who concentrated on games to the detriment of his school work was going the right way about being expelled for wilful stupidity and if she thought that she could do better with another seeker, she might look for one if she thought so little of Madam Bacsó's desires that her school should show some degree of academic excellence.

She was thrown off the team and Madam Rundqvist promptly lost all her chasers, her keeper and one of her beaters. Xia Xuang did not resign as doing well at quidditch WAS her only hope since she was not academic.

Jade was reinstated in a hurry as the match was in two days time; and though they lost to Strasburg it was a good match and Jade felt that she had acquitted herself well enough even though the Strasburg seeker had pipped her to the snitch. As Jade said cheerfully afterwards,

"He's the pro; I can't be lucky enough to be matched against a baboon on a stick every time."

Madam Rundqvist had to admit that Jade flew better without much practice than most of the team did with practice; Madam Bacsó had exchanged certain words with that lady over her obsessions and over the stress that Jade had volunteered for in teaching alongside studying her own subjects including those she must study in her free time because their taught classes coincided with the teaching she was doing. Madam Rundqvist had said sulkily that she could not see what such a natural quidditch player was doing wasting her time on so many academic studies when she had a lucrative job to walk into anywhere as a seeker.

"Ask her" said Agata "But don't blame me if you don't like the answer!"

Unwisely, Frida Rundqvist did just that; and Jade said tactlessly

"Oh I don't have to waste my time playing sports for a living, I'm clever enough to get a real job!"

The lack of tact was partly deliberate; Jade was rather sick of seeing the little ones chivvied out to play coached quidditch during such free periods that they might choose knockabout games or read or study or do any hobbies. She had in fact sought out Madam Rundqvist to tell her so but was not about to raise her issue until a member of staff had raised hers, however stupid.

Rundqvist spluttered.

She had one ZH however; and could not deny not being academic.

"But why would you want to have an academic job when you could have more fun playing seeker?" she said.

Jade gave her a fishy look.

"Some of us find fun in translating ancient passages that have never received a full translation; or developing a new potion; and actually I find it a rewarding job stimulating young minds and helping them to achieve their full potential and find goals to work towards that have a little more meaning than dumping the pill through three hoops" she said "children should play games for the good of their health and to develop hand-eye co-ordination; and learning to work as a team is an important part of social development. But the beautiful game is a game; and I can't imagine anything worse than turning it into a chore with daily practise and having to play for money; somehow that makes something sordid of it. When I watch matches I try to forget that the players are playing for a wage. I try not to notice bookies. I prefer not to think about the practical side of the entertainments industry and the fact that players will let themselves be bought and sold by different clubs like so many good-time girls; and probably with as much control over their lives and who they play for as the said girls. It's nasty; and I had rather be nothing to do with it; even if I wasn't clever enough to do so many other things."

Rundqvist sneered.

"And teaching Dark Arts isn't nasty?"

"Well if you study it properly at least it isn't sordid; and I bet you'd run to me quick enough to kill any dementors that settled on your precious pitch; or to ask for advice over how to tie up a solid contract with sidhe who wanted to play a quidditch game for the souls of the under twelves. They do from time to time you know; happened nearly two hundred years ago and thirty kids got carted off into slavery because the contract wasn't tied up tight enough; it's in the history of Durmstrang dossier in the library. Go and look if you don't believe me" she added as Rundqvist paled "I know how to tie it up so solid even if they win we have clauses to get us out. The Sidhe are the most dangerous dark creatures in the world because they have laws and codes. And most people don't even realise how dark they are because plenty of them are pretty. Pretty! Heh!" she said. "And good at illusion magic too. You do your job; and let me do mine. And I suggest you check the limits of yours because if you don't stop giving the juniors nightmares that they can't get off their brooms because you won't let them do anything in their free – FREE – time except be coached I'll jolly well report you for abuse to Madam Bacsó because you're as much a ruddy bully as Hedda Schrempf in your own way; and the sooner you get into your bludger-damaged head that not every kid wants to play quidditch all the time, and even if they want to play they don't want to be supervised and chivvied at it, the better. I caught two little girls sobbing their hearts out in the loo – which is why I actually was coming to see you, not to answer stupid questions about why I should waste my time turning fun into boredom – plotting to burn all the school brooms so nobody could make them play again. That of a VOLUNTARY exercise you've made compulsory. You are making them hate quidditch you know; so in five and six years time you won't HAVE a first team because they'll associate it with misery and will refuse to play. And if you throw me off the team again for telling you a few unpleasant truths I'll ruddy well stay off, honour of the school notwithstanding and so will all the others except Xia and you and she can make up the ruddy team together. Are you actually hearing me?"

As this was delivered at the top of Jade's opera trained lungs in the middle of the quidditch pitch it was safe to say that a sight more people than Rundqvist heard her.

Rundqvist paled.

"They should get out more; and playing quidditch is fun and they need supervision!" she said.

"Fun? And if I chased you in and made you spend all YOUR free periods doing simultaneous equations that I happen to find fun how would YOU feel? Not everyone has the same idea of fun; and you're SPOILING their fun. You're SPOILING the game for those who want to play knock around games; and learning skills, incidentally, even if they DON'T adhere to match rules. You are putting the juniors OFF quidditch. How many ways must I say it?"

"I don't believe you!"

"All right; let me turn you invisible and you come into the junior common room" said Jade "And just listen; don't say anything. Just listen."

"Very well" said Rundqvist.

"Which of you kids wants a game of quidditch?" asked Jade.

"Oh Fraulein Von Strang MUST we? SHE's always forcing us to do it" said Sofie.

"She is the cat's mother; that was rude" said Jade.

"She's rude to us; says, 'you there, girl'" said Sofie "She can't even be bothered to remember our names; all she's got room in her head for is horrid old rules and moves and stuff; we aren't allowed to PLAY quidditch we have to have lessons in our spare time; I wish she'd get killed like Viktor Krumm even though he wasn't so we didn't have to play quidditch."

"I used to like it but she makes it such a drag" said a Swiss girl called Sarah "I don't even like having to watch you big ones play real matches any more; it's just so many numbers and I want to yawn. I'll NEVER get my knitting finished and then there'll be no present for my baby cousin."

"I thought we didn't HAVE to play quidditch" whined Anisoara Fieraru.

"We aren't supposed to have to" said Herwald "I hate it now; the minute you put a nose outside to go for a nice walk, you get pounced on and made to play; I've taken to lurking indoors and hoping she doesn't hoik me out; it isn't healthy but it's better than quidditch, quidditch, quidditch like there's nothing else in the world; reckon she has erumpants loose in her top playing field!"

"You know that as a part time member of staff I can't let you say that to me, Herwald" said Jade.

"Sorry Fraulein; I wish you weren't teaching so we could just tell it like it is and say how much we hate her" said Herwald.

"At least when Madam Schrempf's class was over it stopped hurting and you could escape" said Sofie "You can't escape Madam Rundqvist, she's always torturing us and forcing us to play even when it isn't her class. I hate her! She's a dark creature! 'cos a dark creature is defined by intent; and she must hate us or why would she be so cruel?"

"It's more that she feeds on quidditch and seeks food without realising or caring that she preys on others; be fair" said Jade.

"We'd feel fairer to her if she was fair to us" said Kjell "She hoiked some of us out of a free study period and I got an hour detention from Herr Rebet because I hadn't been able to finish my essay because I'd had to wait until then for the book; so I lost my slot for it and got a Ukrainian diatribe and lost another hour of free time to do the wretched essay because she can't read enough words to look up what free time means in the dictionary."

"Well I'll try to intercede on your behalf; can I have a show of hands of which of you babes actually still enjoys playing quidditch….. three out of the twenty eight of you; who enjoys SUPERVISED quidditch…. Zero out of twenty eight of you. Who USED to enjoy quidditch? Because if I can convince Madam Rundqvist that you don't like it as much as her because of being forced to play so much I'm sure she's fair enough to listen; she can't conceive that everyone doesn't want to eat sleep and dream quidditch."

"We DO dream quidditch and it's AWFUL!" said Elfleda "And when I get to have a study so I can't be chased out I'm never going to play quidditch ever again!"

The show of hands for who had enjoyed quidditch had been slightly more than half.

"Right then; I'll go see her" said Jade.

"If she doesn't see out point we already decided we just refuse to mount up" said Kjell "We had an indignation meeting; she can't punish us for refusing to do something that isn't compulsory in the rules."

"No she can't" said Jade.

She left and returned Madam Rundqvist to normal. It was fortunate that the juniors had been so loud as she had been gasping and making little cries of horror. She looked dreadful.

"They HATE me!" she said.

"Hardly surprising" said Jade "You'd hate someone who forced you to sit and do arithmancy. Who jeopardised your place on a team – which is the same as what you did to Kjell for getting him a detention! You should be ashamed of yourself; they dare not say they don't want to play because you hold being a grown up over them and say 'nonsense of course you do' as though they're as retarded as the average beater. Oh damn, sorry, you were a beater, weren't you? I didn't mean any offence. But I have known some pretty retarded beaters in my time. But to stop a kid doing prep work at the only time he can is low; very low. And I don't suppose you let the poor brat explain. If you have any honour you'll go to Herr Rebet and apologise and explain. Because that's lower than cobbing. No teacher gets a kid into trouble with another just for the fun of it; it's disgusting. And if you're surprised at the drop in numbers of those who liked the game I'm not."

"I only wanted the best for them!" wailed Rundqvist taking refuge in tears "I never meant to be unkind!"

"If I was in your boots" said Jade "I'd consider that little kids are usually very fair minded; and I'd apologise to the whole third, second and first and tell them that you were trying to give them a good time and didn't realise that you weren't and that you will try to make amends by giving tips – if they ASK – out of their lesson time; and just by watching if you happen by and calling out 'well played' if something was. And I should also in your boots suggest that if any of them would like a cross-country fly one fine Sunday you'll escort them, with NO quidditch talked. It'll all help their skills; especially jinking through trees in the forest. Let them fly races; coach without coaching. You're a damn good coach, if a little bit heavy; but give them back their love of flying!"

"All right; I'll do as you suggest. I was furious with you for your cheek but if they have lost a joy in the game I can see why that made you angry enough to be so cheeky."

Jade sighed.

She decided not to explain that it wasn't the erosion of the love of the beautiful game she minded so much as the erosion of the good health and happiness of the juniors.

Beaters really were retarded.

At least Rundqvist had an innate sense of honour that recognised Jade's sincerity; and she held out a hand.

The Quidditch coach shook it.

"Give 'em the year round and see them clamour to be part of a staff versus pupils match" said Jade. "Round Robin of four; first team, second team and best of the rest with a staff team as fourth."

"Are you coming back to teach full time?" asked Rundqvist.

"Oh yes, you'll have your seeker" said Jade.

Fortunately it was almost time for the holidays; and on the last day of school, at five o'clock in the morning, all those designated as to be in the blood group assembled in their dungeon.

Smoothly and almost silently other people started arriving; the scarred and unmistakable Professor Snape; whom Jade hugged; the tall blonde man with a scar who had featured as the human patronus, with a baby in his arms that Jade flew to and threw herself upon; Annet Breuer with a goblin child by the hand; goblins and elves; a black skinned boy who Jade shook hands with; and then she punched the arm of a big, thickset boy with tow coloured hair. Viktor Krumm was there wrapped around a girl so like Nefrita that Jade's friends looked at her to check. Jade was hugging a tiny girl with flaming red hair.

There was Harry Potter himself; the friends that were famous for being his friends even if names were uncertain in the minds of any but the oldest; Draco Malfoy, unmistakeably a cousin of Jade; two red haired men who looked enough alike to be brothers and one of whom was Harry's best friend; other Malfoys; and so many with the zig-zag scar.

It got rather cramped.

"Dad did you bring EVERYONE?" demanded Jade "It feels like it!"

"It seemed, that if this was the new branch, the prognosis would be more favourable with an eclectic selection of a moderately universal nature to give them the most advantageous mix" said Severus.

"That's dad-speak for he thought you'd have a better deal with everyone here" translated Jade.

"He's only logorrhoeac when he's in an unanticipated social situation" said Krait.

"She said dad gets wordy when there's a lot of people he doesn't know" said Jade.

"No wonder you're a bit inclined to the same yourself!" said Bertel.

The ceremony was counted down by Hermione – who liked to do the job – and palms were slit. Most old hands used _diffindo_; others used silver knives. And then the dungeon filled with the throbbing of a great drum like noise that was the combined heartbeats of more than a hundred hearts; and the new members gasped as the knowledge of their blood kin hit them; and the knowledge that all these people WERE kin, were closer than kin. And little Fyra and Alrik were like a little brother and sister too; Ritter gasping to realise that goblins weren't so different after all and was busy telling them emotionally that they were just a couple of years older than his half siblings.

And then they were drinking hot sweet cocoa; Severus had decided that crumpets were going to be too much bother in a cramped dungeon and the minimal blood sugar replenishment would do.

"You older ones will get to meet us more properly perhaps in the long holiday" said Severus "We have a ceremony on a grand scale; a kid was forced by his weirdo parents to commit suicide for being a wizard; he became a ghost. We're planning on putting him back in his body."

"Can that then be done?" gasped Cacilia

"They did if for me and I'd been dead fifty years" said Myrtle laconically. "My Abraxus gave his hand; Professor Dumbledore's giving his hand for this kid Seth and is going to be his new father. Anyone who cares to give blood for him is always welcome."

"Were – were these parents then muggles?" asked Traudl.

"Muggles with a strange belief and religion" said Lydia "And the two little girls ran away; so we're faking up a murder and getting the parents blamed by the muggle authorities. Nice piece of transfiguration; we did it with chanting. The little girls are safe now and Seth at least is a ghost in a friendly place if it doesn't work. But it will" she added "Dad's running the ritual; and nobody does ritual like dad does."

"He's so good in a group" purred Dione, snuggling. As Sirri and Krait were also snuggling her inference was quite clear.

"Grown ups can be very embarrassing; I do apologise for them" said Lilith and promptly got clipped across the back of the head by several pairs of fingers.

And then the English contingent were leaving; and the new members were left with both a sense of loss and a sense of having gained something unbelievable!

Jade was to stay in the castle over the Easter holiday, continuing to coach the exam classes rather than leaving them purely to revision; and she had insisted that quarters for herself, her husband, their son and Irmi should be found during that time. Madam Bacsó had been happy to agree; after all if Jade was coming back to teach in the following year, she would expect provision for her family. Wulf had agreed to a position as groundsman working too with Señor Carcano to collect animals to bring in for the junior classes; he did not feel qualified to teach although he had been studying hard to catch up on all he should have been taught in his youth. He also agreed to supervise preparation from time to time to give teachers a break; though that too would be a prefect duty. Next year would also see the installation of Nannerl Schwefel teaching geomancy; Jade suggested her to Madam Bacsó.

"Nannerl Schwefel? But Hesse told me that she had been killed in a raid against Prince Peak, captured and questioned until she died!" she said.

"We don't use torture; it's counterproductive" said Jade scornfully "Hesse either lied or made guesses based on how he'd treat a teacher from Prince Peak. She was one of four witches sent to take over the school after the first lot of dementors and stormwizards had subdued us, when dad and his family were the only ones in the castle in the holidays. They did NOT expect us to kill the dementors; the stormwizards expected to mop up and use the mind-dead girl children when their bodies grew up to breed on. The witches were expecting the children of the school, on their return, to just accept a fait accompli. Germans are so predictable; they always expect people to do what they're told so long as they shout loudly enough that they have authority! Mum held Nannerl because of all of them she was the one who was shocked to find out that dementors had been used; and she was a bit stubborn about actually admitting to being happier in our dungeons than in luxury with ODESSA – and mum had legilimensed her so she knew fine well how she really was feeling – so they threatened to let her go rather than have to keep feeding her with her fare back to Germany. And then Nannerl got really upset because she knew fine well she'd be tortured by ODESSA because they wouldn't believe that she had stayed loyal. Funny way they have of keeping loyalty; but there you go. So ODESSA should be kaput by September so she and her family will be safe for her to return. She's been serving in a shop to pay her way, though she has been going in to teach some classes in the free school over the last year to get her hand back in, but she'll be happier to teach in her own country. She's learned a lot but she still has trouble treating goblins as equals; I expect you'll sympathise with her on that."

"I do" said Agata "I am prepared to give more respect that I would have to goblins seeing that they have nicer habits than I realised – your little maid runs errands for me and is quite a sweet child – but I find the English choice to give them equality to humans extraordinary."

"German goblins are, as I have said, somewhat less civilised than English ones" murmured Jade gently hiding a smile that her suggestion to Fyra that she make herself useful to Madam Bacsó was bearing fruit!

Agata was not thinking about goblins; but about Nannerl Schwefel, a bright girl full of promise and respectful too; and how she had been angry that of the four young women she had heard had been sent to Prince Peak Nannerl was the one she would truly mourn, and was angry at the three who had returned to ODESSA as much as at the English; feeling sure that Erdmute Von Kessel, the leader of the group, had somehow been responsible. That Nannerl had not been tortured to death left her filled with joy; and the realisation that although she could not really see it of the English she HAD believed that stern Professor Snape had executed her or had her incarcerated in some deep political prison in England. That Nannerl herself had agreed to self imposed exile for her own and her family's safety she could well believe in retrospect. She was doing the right thing; she might have to make concessions to goblin rights and the mudbloods – though Jade had amply demonstrated that prejudice there was a fallacy – but ODESSA must fall. When well born witches who had done their duty to the best of their ability feared to be treated as criminals for being captured that was just the last straw.

"It would be better if there was a school that took the entirely muggle born and those of er, mixed blood and some brighter goblins; and then the trained mud….muggleborn could, over a generation or two, integrate better into our society" said Agata.

"It would be better than nothing" said Jade "And Wolf and I with Anett and Mort Bane were thinking of doing something of the kind. To have support from you would be very nice; and of course for a while we shall be the poor relation with fewer subjects available. However, perhaps we might arrange the option of transfer for the most talented muggleborn; if they prefer to try to brazen out at Durmstrang rather then transfer to Prince Peak; and if we DO get it running successfully, it means dad can afford to be pickier about who he accepts, because he really wants Prince Peak to be a specialist school for children of high talent, to develop the minority skills; rather than be half used as the dumping ground for English kids who are reckoned too delicate in temperament for Hogwarts – which either means, incidentally, that they have neurotic parents or they're horrid spoilt brats – and half for those children who are ineligible to go to Durmstrang. By the way, Adrian Petrescu; who was expelled for being nice to a house elf; what's the story from your end?"

"He defied Nachtigall; Hedda Schrempf backed up Nachtigall; Petrescu was extremely rude to her, and I had to back a staff member" said Agata. "Is he doing well?"

"Extremely; and my stepdaughter is one of his closest friends so she wanted to know the truth as you saw it" said Jade. "Adrian considers he was in the right; and, incidentally so do I though I can't see you had much choice but to back a staff member. In your shoes I might have arranged it differently; spoken to him, lied about Madam Schrempf having some home life trouble that made her touchy, and rather than expelling him told the lot to either Albus or Dad – or Madame Maxime I guess – and arranged a transfer. Small persons can't buck discipline with impunity but nor can you expect a kid to go against his conscience. Of course Hedda Schrempf made a small incident large; even without her innate sadism she was just unfit to be a teacher; not a CLUE how to handle kids! And having favourites just isn't on; you are always harder on any you feel partiality for than on the others; it's one of the unwritten rules of teaching – and for prefects!"

"This appears to be an English unwritten rule – will you explain it to me?"

Jade looked surprised.

"Well you wouldn't want a favourite to be ragged or despised for being teacher's pet, would you?" she said "Or if it's your own brat, you wouldn't want them pestered by idiots who think they can get round a parent who's teaching by making a pet of his little girl – it's rather a hard lesson to learn the hard way that sycophants are no true friends! No kid wants to be singled out as a favourite, do they? Either they must put up with being bullied for it or be labelled tattle-tale if they report things that on an unconnected kid would be reasonable to report. Nobody likes someone made a favourite; because it isn't fair. I bet the teachers are twice as hard on my kid sister Lilith in Hogwarts because she's two years younger than the rest 'cos she's so bright; and because they all know her. And quite right too."

Agata blinked.

The concept of it being unfair on the favourite to have favourites who were obvious had never occurred to her. She had grown up with the idea that teachers had favourites who ratted up the rest. Yes; she HAD thought it unfair in her time; but it had been the way it was.

"Your sister is up two years early? Why?" she asked.

"Oh because she's a genius; I shouldn't be surprised if she knows as much as me already, even if she hasn't the maturity to apply it all; and she'll certainly surpass me within a year or two!" said Jade proudly.

Agata shook her head in wonder.

"And not only do you not resent that, you sound pleased for her!" she said.

"Of course! She's my kid sister! I'm well proud of her; and only concerned that she doesn't get labelled a swot and get picked on; mind, she's no prig so I imagine she's in the centre of any mischief the weevils – first years – get up to" she added "And probably devising more than half of it. I just hope she doesn't get a swollen head for her abilities; but I should think the staff will sit on her pretty hard if she tries to show off too much" she went on "Because it's not an attractive trait and I'd hate her to be spoilt by being made too much of so she thinks she's something special. She is of course; but kids who think they're special are the most awful selfish stuck up brats. I expect they'll take the line 'yes dear, you're remarkably clever and you know a lot but you still have a lot to learn and by the way you look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards, ten points from Slytherin for your appearance go and neaten up.' Depressing pretensions: the speciality of both Connie Hardbroom and Minerva McGonagall."

"I suppose that is why you English are so extraordinary; you consider it normal to prevent a child from showing off with an extraordinary ability; to – depress her pretensions you say – when it's no such thing as pretension but a real talent?"

"But does her talent make her a nicer person? Morally better than others? No it doesn't. And if she's allowed to think it does, she'll become a monster of vanity, convinced she is better than other people, and the idea of Lilith, who has more ability in her little finger than Voldemort had in his own body – she's his granddaughter, incidentally; mum is his daughter and Lilith is her eldest child – becoming a second Voldemort is scary. Because she'd do it far more efficiently than him; and has the ability to put England, the whole world, in thrall. And then I should have to kill my baby sister whom I adore – if I could manage it – because if she embarked on such a self destructive course, she's so young I think she'd find herself seduced by the dark side because she's too young to have the discrimination between the fascinating and the fascinatingly dangerous. We have safeguards against this; it was apparent from her infancy that she was something rather special; but there's no need to let her get to a point where she needs squashing." Jade reflected that the blood group, which also helped Lilith's development, would quickly pick up if she had any inappropriate feelings; and also the very fact of that deep bond of love would prevent any likelihood of Lilith becoming as cold and unemotional as she would have to be to become truly dark. And THAT had saved her from being affected by being surrounded by Krait-the-basilisk when that had been necessary to impress Voldemort. That Lilith had always been a snake animagus had been some cause for concern if she spent too much time in it; Jade knew, having been snake before she changed to wolf, that in snake form one's emotions were reduced. It permitted the use of pure logic if one was getting too emotionally involved in some problem and had its uses; but prolonged use of the form could be a little bad for a very small child. And Lilith's infant defiance had been to become snake.

It had been when Krait had discovered that _homomorphous_ worked as well on an animagus as on a werewolf, using it in frustration.

And Lilith had always changed back when asked after that incident.

"I see; I see why that might be a matter for concern above the usual talented child" said Agata "You are not then Voldemort's granddaughter? Oh no – you said you were adopted, descended from the Malfoy; and yet as powerful as any pureblood and more so than most!"

"Mum was sired on a half muggle Malfoy by her halfblood father, Voldemort; dad is halfblood of the Prince family" said Jade "So Lilith's no pure blood princess either. And she's potentially more powerful than anyone since Merlin. And more important, we all love her to bits. Which is why she isn't going to be spoilt; or made teacher's pet."

"It's a lot to think on" said Agata. "And I do take your point about the fairness to one who is a favourite. I had never considered it before; but I will try to institute such customs. Because I recall hating the ones who WERE favoured; and for no other reason than that it wasn't fair!"

Durmstrang was going to improve; and with Agata as an ally so much quicker than Jade had ever hoped possible!


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Ralph at six months old got made something of a pet of between coaching.

"Were you then actually expelled from Prince Peak for having a baby at school?" asked Franziska.

"I didn't have him at school; he was born in the holidays between Prince Peak and coming here" said Jade. "Nine months after my marriage to Wulf; so before anyone makes any comments they're going to subsequently regret he is quite legitimate. Marriage at sixteen is legal in England. Do I miss him? Yes I damn well do; and I'm hoping to negotiate that my husband and son stay for the rest of the year. Irmi will go back to Prince Peak in the furtherance of her education; meanwhile she can help out those of you in the fifth since she's in the same year and so knows more than you; and it's decent of her to come over to help you lot rather than stay with her own revision group. Perhaps some of you might help her with the subjects she's weak on, care of beasts and herbology."

"I wish I was less of a dunce too at Arithmancy and Ancient Runes" said Irmi "I have had only a class average of 'E' in them; I have only had an average of 'O' in five of my classes and 'E' in the rest bar the two J- Nefrita mentions. But they are compulsory classes so one does not feel so bad. And two mere passes out of ten does not look too bad; I have never had a fail in any of them."

Jade laughed.

"You are being stared upon in wonder, Irmi, for being such a genius as to have 'O' averages in five subjects; you compare yourself to such as Elsie Blackwood who is a straight 'O' student, and Sebastian Cantripp who takes eleven OWLs to make up for having a brown thumb in herbology and who weeps when he drops to 'E' in his few less strong subjects."

"Yes; I should console myself that I am not a dunce like Deborah Puisel who is only taking eight subjects and will be pleased to pass them all" said Irmi.

"Hhr'hm" said Hilde Mondschein "MOST of us are only taking eight ZPs and there are about six of us who not only hope to pass them all but who hope for some 'E's and maybe the odd 'O'."

"Sorry" said Irmi "Perhaps it is that we are a small school and have more attention."

"No; it is that until I sat on Nachtigall, bullying here was so entrenched that younger kids were too depressed to study" said Jade bluntly "And when, next year, Madam Bacsó institutes prefects, those of you who are chosen to be such in the lower sixth will be helping to continue to stamp on bullying; because a prefect in the lower sixth will still outrank a non prefect in the upper six, even if they are von with an und in them. And I would hope that you'd all lend a hand leaping on bullying anyway and support your prefects" she added. "Madam Bacsó will no longer permit her school to be dictated to by those of advanced social rank or by ODESSA . It's as simple as that."

"I can see that it would be difficult to study with bullies to worry about as well as that er, Sccchrempf woman" said Irmi. "She must so have embarrassed Madam Bacsó showing her up on Wizarding Wireless Vision like that!"

"She was a bitch" said Zhanargul. "All we learned from her was how to cower. Will you help us with our shield charms? Some of us are deficient."

"Gladly" said Irmi. "I learn Defence Against the Dark Arts but I guess a lot of the skills are the same."

"If you can't survive to use the Dark Arts you're a pretty poor specimen" said Jade. "The practical is to curse an item and to have a short duel with the examiner; not to the level of the NEWT duel where the headmaster usually has to undo the examiner from various embarrassing and disabling jinxes; but where in the OWL a student has to put up the shield charm against things like _densaugeo_ the ZP student is expected to attack back; two defensive charms and two offensive charms as I recall; probably extra marks for twisting a couple of jinxes together in the attacks. Like the jellied furnunculous curse."

"Oh what's that, Fraulein?" asked Stiv.

"Well you know the furnunculous curse that causes boils, and the jelly-leg hex? Cast simultaneously out of the same wand they make you boneless and covered with tiny tentacles; here, young Irmi, you do it on me" said Jade. Irmi giggled and complied.

Notebooks came out and there was furious scribbling.

"Now, you lot, try to be creative" said Jade putting herself back to normal "Make up your own combinations; mind I doubt any of you will surpass the combination of the arachnonunculous curse – that's the jellied furnunculous curse with a twist that makes the tentacles be spider legs – and the tarantallegra curse that makes them dance."

"I heard the Hogwarts crowd added another layer to that with the honky-tonk twinkletoes curse on top so all the little legs dance and play music at the same time" said Irmi.

"Ah, kids and train journeys" said Jade. "Nothing better to do than to make up curses!"

"Isn't that what the time these Durmstrangers have in the lodge is for?" asked Irmi.

"In theory; in practise it involves juniors getting attached to a senior who'll protect them and avoiding the bullies who stalk around hurling the cruciatus curse because they have no imagination" said Jade. "Here, why don't you and I do a demonstration duel? You're good enough that I shan't hurt you."

"You'll take a handicap before I let myself loose against you, o my best beloved" said Irmi firmly "Your hands tied behind your back and word of honour not to untie them; I KNOW how much you like wiggling your fingers in lieu of a wand and you always say it isn't necessary so you can jolly well prove it!"

"Fair point" said Jade "It shouldn't be necessary; it IS just bad habit."

When news went round that Nefrita Von Strang was fighting a demonstration duel, most of the sixth turned up as well, even those not taking Dark Arts; for the fifth the class was compulsory and all were keen to watch.

Based on Hedda Schrempf, and the way Nefrita had handled Nachtigall they did expect it to be over quickly to the embarrassment of Irmi when they found that she was only in the fifth; and they were in for a surprise.

Irmi had a shield better than any of the upper sixth at Durmstrang; and an original and complex line in curses. The piste itself became a weapon in the hands of each, rearing and bucking, or transfiguring and trying to bite; and both used acrobatics to actually avoid spells; Jade hurling herself sideways at a bolt of energy and saying,

"Hey, young Irmi, did you know that was a death spell?"

Irmi stared.

"IS it? I'm sorry, Jade, I just made it up as I went along. It's based on muggle electricity."

"Yeah; and the muggles don't put up big notices on the places they store it saying 'danger of death' for fun" said Jade "Even the domestic supply that's less powerful can kill if you mess with it in the wrong way! Keep that one for emergencies our kid. I don't think there's any shield to it except….cast it again."

Irmi obediently did so and Jade pulled a copper pole out of the substance of the piste and then swore because she had not taken it far enough down and the piste went on fire.

"Sloppy" said Wulf "Not like you my dear."

Jade finished putting out the flames – she sucked out the oxygen from around them and finished off with Aguamenti from Irmi's wand that she levitated and pointed – and pulled a face.

"I thought grounding it to the flags was enough; I should have driven the copper pole right into the ground. Useful spell there Irmi; until someone decides to make it unforgivable."

"Do you think they will?"

"well as you could tailor that to between giving someone burns over all their body to killing them outright with the option of slow cooking them in the middle I should think it'd scare most ministries into gobbling incoherence" said Jade "Hang on; I've thought of another counter. I need my hands free; deal?"

"I'll stand by to be fire brigade" said Wulf.

Irmi untied Jade and cast it again; and Jade brought to her hand the energy sword that Draco had developed as a lightsabre just for fun; and the lightning caught it and ricocheted off; and the protective shell on the piste flared and died and the bolt of lightening flew up towards the ceiling.

The copper rod went far enough down this time, conjured out of thin air with a gesture by Jade and backed by one from Wulf who also waved a second protective shield up around the spectators.

"Wow!" said Jade "Sorry you lot; didn't mean to put you young people in jeopardy; I'm too much a scholar not to push the boundaries of spell and counterspell when there's a new one I'm afraid. Forgive?"

"You are extremely impressive in your ability to react and create so fast" said Clovis Gierek "Any small fear we may have suffered I think we all would accept willingly for the privilege of seeing such a display. That so young a person as Fraulein Luytens is so able is shaming to us all and I think a spur to us to do better. It is plain that the scholars of Prince Peak are NOT just encouraged to hide behind defences but to make new spells to give as good as they get."

"And I reckon it might work on dementors too" said Jade "Outside everyone; Clovis, you're best at dementor summoning, whack us up a couple of big ones and we'll see what this – and Draco's sword – can do."

Clovis called up a couple of dementors; and unlike Billkvam he did NOT lose control of either of them.

Irmi fired her spell at one; and it screamed and flew apart.

Jade advanced on hers; Draco's sword cut it into pieces which seemed unable to rejoin but which wriggled feebly. Jade absently electrocuted it in a broad wash of power rather then leave even such a creature needlessly suffering, and was utterly unaware of how THAT impressed her pupils.

"Cheers Clovis" said Jade "And that's another weapon in our armoury. _Fulmen_ is a good one; but to be used judiciously. Like natural lightening it's not easy to control" she looked around "If ANY of you use this and claim you didn't know it was a death spell be sure I shall know you're lying. I hereby decree it unforgivable to use on any being."

They would obey her; they feared her ability.

And at least they now had a realistic idea of what a kid approaching ZPs SHOULD be able to do; and those who had been performing a little better might not be so damnably cocky.

When Von Frettchen's flying coach hurled in to land and that nobleman jumped from his carriage Jade sent a blood pulse to her new bloodkin of the sixth, Wulf and Irmi and to her father and the others at Prince Peak.

She could guess by his face what had happened.

"He's moved too early?" she said.

Von Frettchen nodded.

"How did you know?"

"Your face, Herzog, if not you fortune, was most expressive; baffled fury and worry" she said "The werewolves?"

"He takes all those from the compound."

"Fine; we'll turn them on his men. Collect Agata; we'll apparate en bloc to the ministry in Strasburg; you'll have to give me visualisation."

"We'll have to get out of the non-apparating zone here; and it to is a non -…."

"You let ME handle administrative details like that Von Frettchen" said Jade. "Collect Agata. You pace; I'll worry."

That wrung a wan smile from the duke who hastened off to find Agata Bacsó.

Jade picked up Ralph and handed him to Volodya.

"You said you will not fight; back us with blood and care for my son. If anything happens to all three of us – Wulf, Irmi and me – take him to Prince Peak" she said "And that's highly unlikely! The rest of you; be vewwy vewwy quiet, we'we hunting Gerhardt….. never mind, muggle er, literature reference" she added as they stared. "We'll apparate in to the ministry; dad and a few others will be there as backup; and we whack 'em and whack 'em and whack 'em; you people do NOT read the right books" she added at more slightly askance looks. "Wulf and I will turn the werewolves on them; dad's bringing masses of the cure for afterwards. I'll keep in mental contact; we make Madam Bacsó look good and then she gets to dictate terms to the ministry because they'll be so grateful they'll agree to almost anything."

Clovis Gierek came over.

"What is going on?" he asked.

"Gerhardt of ODESSA is moving on the ministry; we're backing Madam Bacsó in killing him, wiping out the rest of ODESSA and leaving her to dictate terms to the ministry" said Jade directly "Including fair pay for non German professors, and more rights for goblins before they actually realise they outnumber humans and decide to rebel for being kept in conditions Ritter reckoned his father would not house chickens in."

"That they do NOT choose to live in of their own will" added Ritter "But no man can keep a damp house that is never repaired anything but squalid. You aren't a part of us Clovis; clear off."

"I will support Nefrita Von Strang; I will come" said Gierek "I am part Polish; the German ministry is not disposed to treat Poles and part Poles fairly. The English schools have had a go at ODESSA ; now it is our turn and let us be the ones to destroy them not have to be grateful to the English. ODESSA has given us nothing but failures; like Schrempf."

"Welcome aboard then Clovis" said Jade "In the heat of the moment if anyone shouts 'Jade' it's me; but I don't have time to explain now so just live with it."

"The child Irmi so named you" said Gierek. "Madam Bacsó comes and Señor Carcano too! And Herr Rebet!"

"The more the merrier" said Jade.

The ministry in Strasburg was set in its own park on the outskirts and the muggle conurbation unaware of its existence. One might apparate to the outer limits of the park but none were supposed to be able to apparate within.

Jade had a link opened to her by Severus with a mental throat clearing as he spoke in her head:

"Seagh and I just did a reconnaissance; Gerhardt and his men are arriving in droves just outside the non-apparating zone; the werewolves are being side-alonged. It's full moon tonight. I'd say they were hurried into changing a little early; it's not difficult. We have AKs; if you take over the wolves, you and Wulf and Irmi; your new ones and Agata and the rest of us can mop up the rest; they have got Slavic troops. Von Frettchen lost sight of him briefly I'd say. I'll give the word and you bring people in; as soon as the ministry fools have actually really started to panic. Are you ready?"

"Red five, standing by" said Jade in her head; and out loud "Link hands people; we're about to start our attack run on the death star… just stand by" she added irritably. "WHERE is Draco when I need someone to cap my quotes?"

The Durmstrang senior blood group, Gierek, Von Frettchen and the three teachers linked hands.

"It'll be just like beggars' canyon back home" said Irmi.

"Good quoting kid; don't get cocky" said Jade; and on her father's mark apparated them all smoothly.

Several German ministers screamed as they arrived simultaneously with the Prince Peak contingent; Seagh and Severus stepping out of fey space to look as though they had arrived with the rest.

"We're not here, Agata" said Severus pleasantly "But while we weren't here we thought a hand might not go amiss."

"Very civil of you Severus" said Agata "I'll ask you as the most experienced person not here to direct operations."

Seagh was busy telling a German Minister

"We're Luke Skywalker; we're here to rescue you."

"Thank heavens for another voice of insanity" said Jade "Take care of my friends; we'we hunting Gerhardt"

"The idea of a wolf looking like Elmer Fudd is quite boggling" said Seagh. "Bite his fat arse for us."

"Only after I've turned him into a fwuffy white wabbit" said Jade.

"Two films in one quote? That's going it even for you" said Seagh.

The werewolves were contained in an area of force; because Gerhardt's top men were busy summoning dementors.

"They never learn" said Jade as she and Wulf and Irmi apparated behind the pen where the werewolves were.

"Be fair; they aren't actually expecting to hit anyone competent" said Wulf "Only ministers and their secretaries and hot and cold running etceteras. When do we release them?"

"You two go wolf; I think I may need to bring this down with a chant; it's moderately competent" said Jade, passing her wand over the cage. Wolves inside snarled "And then I'll have to change in a hurry. This is the time when one envies Rakshasa for having voices in tiger form. I'll pull up my scent of wolf. When it goes down, we attack. And I go after Gerhardt" she added. "I want him in custody."

"Kill him" said Wulf "And let him be in amongst the others; let him not be a live rallying point; nor a dead hero."

"You're right" said Jade. "Okay; change."

Dementors rose from the magical circles of energy whence they had been brought; and at the direction of their summoners headed for the handsome, but not very defensible ministry building.

Bolts of energy shot from wands as the new spell of Irmi's leaped upon them and a horrid smell not entirely unlike burned flesh floated horridly onto the air.

The ministry officials were trying to flee of course; and various Prince Peak people dropped binding curses on them.

The two groups linked up, took hands of those not blood-joined, and apparated outside.

"There aren't many of them; attack!" cried Gerhardt. "And the lands and title of Von Frettchen to whoever kills him for me!" as he recognised his erstwhile lieutenant.

"DURMSTRANG DEFENDS!" shouted Ritter, using a sonorous spell.

"Posey, but a good sentiment brother" said Seagh.

The storm wizards advanced behind the diminishing dementors; who died faster than with the laughter curse; and the werewolf handlers stepped towards the pen, waiting for the order to release. Jade absently stupefied them both without pausing in her chant; and went rapidly wolf as it finished.

"I did not order the wolves released yet!" shouted Gerhardt as the werewolves poured out when the barriers of energy went down.

Jade grinned to herself; wuffed a couple of times in encouragement and left her husband and stepdaughter to lead the bemused wolves as she set off towards Gerhardt's campaign throne. The wolves fell on the rear of the storm wizards without discrimination, unable to tell friend from foe, but following the pack leader as Wulf made himself be.

Gerhardt was speechless with fury, ordering his aides to do something about it, then screeching that there was one coming at him.

Jade contacted Seagh and said

"He said 'do something Muttley'"

Jade dropped the aides with a burst of subsonics issuing from her body; Gierek was right it WOULD make a mess of their brains. If it only knocked them out that was worth knowing; if it killed them that was worth knowing too. She fancied that the level at which she was using it would act more like a flash-bang-crash grenade than anything terminal, bursting their eardrums and keeping them woozy for a while.

Gerhardt was not one to soil her wand on; though she could not resist turning him into a six foot tall white rabbit, cycling through Bugs Bunny and a small white domestic bunny.

"THREE film references" she sent the thought to Seagh before turning him back; and launching herself on him. Traumatised by the sudden – if transient – transfigurations Gerhardt hardly managed to reach his wand before her teeth were at his throat; and the killing curse bounced harmlessly as she ripped his life out of him.

Mauled by a wolf he would not be so pretty any more. That should destroy his mystique!

The Prince Peak contingent – Severus, Krait, Dione, Sirri, Beloc, Ron, Hermione, Percy, Harmony, David, Ellie, Victor, Seagh, Anett, Lydia and Viktor, Helga, Hester Figg, Angelica, Tala, Erich and assorted ex werewolves – raised their products of Tovarich Kalashnikov and opened fire.

Under a hail of lead, storm wizards fell as though walking into a wall of death. A few werewolves fell too, having got ahead of themselves; but got up. The force of the impact knocked them flying but ordinary lead did little but bruise them; which was the idea of using ordinary bullets.

The Durmstrang contingent focused with their wands and poured such spells as they knew into those still standing; shocked by the hail of death from their counterparts. Severus was chanting, holding a shield over all so that that was one less thing to concentrate on; old hands like Krait, David and Hermione were using spells as well as firing, one finger on wands for better focusing, showering the enemy with blue fire in Hermione's case, a very practical disarming spell from David, who could be relied on to be sensible; and locusts in Krait's because it was funnier.

It was over before the contingents of ODESSA even knew they were beaten. These Russian wizards had never come across such carnage before; at least, not unless they were causing it.

And one of the ministers died too in the hail of lead because Seag saw him creeping up behind Von Frettchen with his wand readied and apported him right out into the killing ground.

"Och, Von Ferret, yon mannie's nae verra friendly t'wards ye; ye'd better watch yer back lest there's a few mair sich gaumless sumpfs tryin' tae spell ye in the back" said Seagh,

"He said that the one who just appeared three feet off the ground was trying to spell you" translated Victor, whose German was now very good "And wondered if you had any other enemies in the ministry here."

Von Frettchen looked startled.

"My thanks for the timely intervention" he said "Er, does he understand more German than he speaks?"

"My German is impeccable" said Seagh impeccably "My manners however are excruciating."

"True" said Victor.

Severus clipped Seagh across the back of the head in the time honoured fashion.

"Ignore my son, Von Frettchen" he said. "Pass the word, use the full body bind on the werewolves; Von Frettchen if you and Agata and your contingent would care to take the ministry we'll mop up out here and be on our way. If you want to play with prophesies, my daughter has been named as the Jade Wolf. You may have to talk very fast to get her to play ball; she despises prophesy. Have fun; actually YOU probably will. I believe Lucius did when we took OUR ministry. The rest of us endured."

"Use Jade to legilimens all the ministry types and weed out the ODESSA supporters" said Krait "She's really quite good considering how young she is."

Since Von Frettchen had never met a legilimens as good as Jade before he seethed once more inwardly at the laconic litotes of the English.

It was however a good idea.

Severus was most concerned with getting the antidote into the werewolves; those who hated the disease would then be free of it; those who liked being werewolves and enjoyed the pain and horror they caused would then be neutralised.

Von Frettchen paused.

"Bertolf Hochbesen is grateful for the cure" he said "He is part of my bodyguard now; and is on his way here with other of my troops. They will be surprised to find it essentially over."

"Let us hope he will not assume we are the enemy" said Severus dryly "I will be aware they come."

"That is them now" Von Frettchen pointed to a heavy carriage drawn by six flying horses, from which storm wizards leaped, wands ready, before it even touched down. Von Frettchen waved.

The ex werewolf Hochbesen ran over and clicked his heels.

"Herr Herzog; you have had aid from the Herr Professor; I am glad that two men I admire are now allies" he said "You will aid these other werewolves? They are not all dead?"

"They should none of them be dead" said Severus "We worked on not killing them."

"You are a great man and a compassionate one Professor; as well as profoundly ruthless and with a well developed sense of humour" said Hochbesen. "Excuse me; the duke wants me" and he clicked his heels again before following Von Frettchen.

"A man who can earn that loyalty is a man worth working with" said Severus. "Well, let us get busy with serum."

Jade, Wulf and Irmi joined the rest of those from Durmstrang.

"Ah, Fraulein Von Strang" said Von Frettchen "We need to know which if the people here were the hidden allies of ODESSA ."

"They can wait until we've all had coffee" said Jade "Killing people is no picnic; oh, Madam Bacsó" she curtseyed "I have the honour to report that Gerhardt is dead; and so that ought to be that."

"You are certain it was him?"

"The stench of him was unmistakeable" said Jade "He might have cast spells or have one take polyjuice potion to assume his form; but polyjuice potion was devised using human senses. The nose of a wolf or dog cannot be fooled. I bit his throat out myself. Stupid fool; his ignorance also defines him for he thought I was one of his werewolves. There are six distinct signs that define a werewolf and eight minor signs."

"Eight?" queried Von Frettchen.

"I admit that one is only detectable to an ordinary wolf or an animagus being in the scent; but the others are in the texture of the fur; the angle at which the follicles grow; the size and shape of the cranium; the angle at which the carnassial teeth are set; the colour of the inside of the mouth; the arrangement of the pads of the feet, which may be detected if following spoor and is a useful one for anyone to know; and finally and also useful if following the spoor, the appearance of the stools which are distinctly human in nature."

"Eight things about werewolves we didn't want to know" said Traudl

"Quiet you" grinned Jade "Ah, elf, you have made my day; thank you" as an elf passed her coffee. "Will you be good enough to take a message to England for me?" the little creature bowed and Jade added "Go please to Malfoy Manor and tell Lucius or Draco Malfoy that Gerhardt is dead and cannot sue."

The elf snapped his fingers and disappeared.

The blood group members were grinning that Jade could not resist any opportunity to free other elves from their self punishment compunctions. Even in the middle of a coup.

Jade ran her eyes over each of the captives from the ministry.

"This one would stand your enemy Herzog Von Frettchen but purely because he believes you to be a member of ODESSA , quite naturally being unaware of your subtle infiltration of the organisation to bring it down. I am sure he will be suspicious of you until he has seen the results of your actions; he is a man of honour and compassion. I suggest you promote him head of the goblin relations ministry and fire – or set fire to – the current head, who is in my opinion by his actions three parts knave and two parts arsehole"

"That's true enough" said the one she was examining "His idea of goblin relations is to crush them further; and even from the point of view of self preservation and leaving compassion out of it that's wrong."

"You'll do" said Jade "And your first act in your new capacity can be in getting the potion to cure black goblin pox well known; it's an old potion, and the disease has been extinct in England for two hundred years and I seem to keep repeating myself over and over telling people that; there's a couple of goblins in Munich, Neric and Torik who are good types; clever, and realistic. Capable of keeping the peace within their community and willing to accept that change will not come fast but ready for it to come. Liaise with Switzerland. You can actually trust Von Frettchen he's a gentleman."

Three were picked out as ODESSA agents; and Von Frettchen's men took them to one side well bound.

Jade sighed and tutted over the rest.

"They really are fairly useless" she said "I'd sack all of those I've sorted over there; it leaves you a skeleton staff but you'll just have to work harder until you've decided if you plan to institute a ruling oligarchy as in England or whether you are going to rule by ministry."

"Weren't you going to be our empress?" said Von Frettchen.

"I don't recall anything of that in the conversation" said Jade. "I said I'd lead to get this sorted out; I don't recall agreeing to be lumbered with any more. Let there be a Rathaus made up of a dozen noblemen; any one of whom can be removed from the council by the consent of the others and another chosen as replacement not necessarily his direct heir. Let the head of Durmstrang be a member of that council. Let a representative of the ministry be another member of that council. Let a goblin chosen by the Goblin Liaison Office be the fifteenth member to represent the views of goblins. I will serve on that council if you wish; and although not technically a nobleman I suggest Herr FREIDULF Nachtigall. He'll make a better job of it than most with such heavy titles hung around their necks that they drag the brains out of the nose; there being more to nobility than titles to polish and admire."

"You can be truly offensive at times" said Von Frettchen.

"Thank you" said Jade gravely.

Von Frettchen gave up. It had NOT been intended as a compliment.

The ministry was denuded by the time Jade had finished firing those she thought inadequate.

And then Agata and Von Frettchen dictated their terms to the remaining stunned members of the government.

"After all, you have done NOTHING to oppose the threat of ODESSA " said Agata "We in Durmstrang decided it was time to support our school governor in his bid to destroy the organisation; and we have goaded the Prince into rash action where we might meet him on OUR terms. We have taken the country by force after destroying the main threat; you don't have to like what we tell you to do; only to obey."

It was rather a schoolmarmish speech; and Jade grinned. It was, after all, quite true!


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

It had been another busy holiday; but at least Von Frettchen was ready to sort out the ministry and Jade trusted him to do so honourably.

And because she had grown up in the paranoia of the Voldemort years she had quietly legilimensed him too to check.

Wulf saw Irmi back to school, taking her directly to Austria; and at least he and Ralph were to stay in the staff wing of the castle. Having been a part of the battle with Orlando Carcano and Ihor Rebet had at least broken much ice so that he had two men he might warily start to call friends. Rebet had no real friends nor family so did not bother to leave the castle in the short holidays at least; and Carcano had been keeping an eye on the unicorns.

One positive thing to have come out of the battle was that Clovis Gierek had become more friendly. He was something of a loner; maybe it was something to do with potioneers, mused Jade. Also he was more interested in learning than in anything else. Perhaps he felt he had to drift into the support of whoever was most powerful; he had certainly been bitter on the subject of the unfairness to Poles and half Poles so perhaps he felt he needed the protection of powerful people. Probably he could not have voiced why he had joined Nachtigall's gang nor why now he hung about the edges of Jade's; but he did present himself for the early morning run.

Oh well, thought Jade, an egregious racist like Darryl Zabini has come round and loves my little elf sister; best to keep an eye on Gierek and see how he goes.

Jade blood-pulsed the blood group to stay behind afterwards; and as they clustered around her she grinned.

"I hereby announce that as a Marauder of both Hogwarts and Prince Peak it is my great pleasure to invest the first Durmstrang Marauders" she said. "Xanthe and Xanthippe, I thought long and hard about whether to make your cronies bloodgroup so that you would all be marauders; but I felt they were not strong enough to be marauder material; nor really to be blooded. Neither Adolph nor Alexand would get into mischief on their own I think; they followed because you firmly led, yes?"

"Yes" said Xanthe "And they haven't been much help searching for secret passages because it involves a lot of being out of bed and taking risks."

Jade nodded.

"I'm glad I made the right decision then" she said "if you had said 'they could be marauders with a bit of encouragement' I should have suggested then blooding them. So instead, I designate Zlatko and Zlatka as Marauders to join you; as they sorted themselves out as fags to a decent one from the word go and would not take protest for an answer. I'll show you how to make that nice turret room into a more secret room; we'll drop the Fidelius Charm on it and I claim right to be secret-keeper as the first ever Marauder at Durmstrang. You will keep in there Marauding treasures; a copy of the Marauder's map that I have made, and the invisibility cloak that I herby invest you with; I've cleaned the room nicely and set up a cauldron and a preserving cupboard for milk and hot chocolate. There are some do nots; do not summon an elf there, because that elf can then teleport in anyone who is entitled to give him orders and then they'll be able to see through the Fidelius Charm. Do not take anyone there you don't want to be able to find it again. Do not keep the location anywhere but in the room. I shall write it down for you to show the next layer of Marauders when you choose them."

"Who will they be? How often are they chosen?" asked Zlatko.

"Who they are and when they are chosen are up to you" said Jade "There can be more than one group of Marauders at once; there's an unprecedented four groups in Hogwarts at the moment; my sister and her group in the sixth, both sixths, so having a group across two years is not unknown; cousin Bella's group in the fourth; and the groups in both the second and the first pulled off such spectacular joint mischief – demonstrating as well that they could work together – that they were inducted earlier than usual. We like to wait until people are in the third before blooding; you little ones are privileged both to get brought in early and to be at what is effectively a marauder meeting. Not all Blooded are Marauders; all Blooded support but Marauders seek trouble to deal with; and hone their skills with mischief in the meantime. Somehow I don't see Grishilde Marauding" she smiled at the little girl, who shook her flaxen head "Wencelada I'm less sure off; after all, she has a lifetime of mischief to catch up on for having been ill before, haven't you?"

Wencelada beamed.

"If Axel can manage not to blab about stuff, he and Zyrillis and me could Maraud!" she said "I want to do the things the English schoolgirl Cassie does!"

"Oh you've read Cassie, have you?" said Jade "My mum writes that; apparently she's loosely based on me, though I don't recall I ever locked a professor in a cupboard in mistake for a dark wizard; still, it's the sort of thing I might easily have done under the same circumstances" she added laughing. "Cassie's a fairly good example as a Marauder, yes all right I'll get a copy or two of them for the rest of you" as there was a clamour for the Cassie books "And I expect you haven't read the latest one, 'Cassie – seeker' either, Wencelada" she added. "Then there's my horrors in the first who are just jumping up and down to be considered; and you may consider yourselves to be apprentice Marauders by attaching yourselves to Zhanargul Nurtazin when she goes into the sixth because she has enemies; and you may approach her this term and say that I have suggested this to you for your protection and hers. She's all right; we might invite her in to the group at some time; she's doing well in the ECHC."

This was greeted with solemn enthusiasm by Sofie, Elfleda, Leva and Kjell.

Jade had received a reply from the letter she wrote to Zhanargul's parents, having sent her own letter home with the girl; they thanked her for her concern and for taking the time to explain that studying the Dark Arts also enabled one to study defences to them, something they had not considered. Prince Isultan Nurtazin wrote that he had questioned his daughter closely and felt that much was to be learned by the behaviour of one to her underlings; and that Jade's gentle protection of her fags told him more than any words could do; and that he felt that he would therefore grant permission to his daughter to study further of the Dark Arts since there were enemies within his realm and he was glad for his daughter to have the opportunity to strengthen herself against them. He had not been specific; and Jade was not sure if this referred to the eastern branch of ODESSA or to a more personal threat; or even to both. She hoped Zhanargul would talk to her about her father's veiled fears; but quite appreciated that he preferred not to commit them to writing. And having a bunch of officious brats around should foil any kidnapping from the school premises anyway.

Jade smiled on the younger ones.

"And now I'm going to dismiss everyone but the four designated Marauders to show them Marauding secrets; and you youngsters must strive to show how you deserve it to be picked to be those to learn!"

The little ones ran off philosophically enough; and Cacilia, realising that Jade meant the older group too, led them away. Jade heard her explaining to Traudl that if they had been Marauder material they would have banded together to fight bullies together before Jade had come; which was why both sets of twins had been chosen as they had already been rebels.

It was well done and Jade made a mental note to thank Cacilia. Cacilia herself was Marauder material but Jade would not choose her alone of the group of friends she had made. She could feel Traudl accepting the explanation, glad to be part of the bloodgroup and Jade's friend; and determined that her sister should learn to Maraud!

Jade got out the Marauders' Map.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good'" she said, tapping it with her wand.

Xanthippe giggled.

"No teacher would come up with that as a way of getting into it" she said.

"That's the general idea" grinned Jade "You two have the option of taking Geomancy as an elective next year; if I was you I'd consider it because you need it to make these maps. The chap who invented this as a magic item went on to be the first teacher of Geomancy in Hogwarts; it had before been taught only in the Ministry of Travel. I only have it to OWL – ZP level – but I've picked up a few extra bits. And mapping is a ZP level skill. Using it with a bit more finesse and adding such things as who is where, that's a little more exotic but not hard. See, the footprints as the others recede?"

"Clever" said Zlatko "I shall petition the Geomancy Professor to be allowed to learn all I may in the year before our ZP's; even if I don't learn enough I might be able to take it in the lower Sixth."

"Nannerl Schwefel is self taught; she'll appreciate someone willing to put in work on their own time" said Jade "And I'll see her and explain that you're keen. She's willing to run a ZP class for those taking ZH's who are interested so I should think she's be flexible."

"You're missing a passage" crowed Xanthippe who had been studying the map "There's one that starts on the third floor in the thickness of the wall opening up in an actual doorway embrasure."

"Neat!" said Jade "Look, I thought we'd meet at midnight to put up the Fidelius Charm; we can map it onto here at the same time and I'll show you how. Where does it go?"

"Into a store cupboard in the first dungeon level where there are brushes and things" said Xanthe. "We told the elves we'd help them and set up hooks to hang things on so we can move in and out more easily."

"Well done; and the sort of lateral thinking that well defines a Marauder!" said Jade. "Right; you take charge of the map, Zlatka, take charge of the invisibility cloak; we'll be late for breakfast if we don't hustle!"

The meeting went well; and Jade installed the Fidelius Charm whilst instructing the others how to do it.

"We'll use the cloak to have a look at this passage of yours too" said Jade "Then come back here to map it."

"Excuse me, Fraulein" said Zlatko "I have been examining the cloak; I hope you will not laugh at me, but it is so superior in quality to most of such cloaks of which I have heard I wondered….. well I wondered if it might be the fabled cloak from the tale of the Three Brothers and Death."

"Oh I don't laugh" said Jade "Because Marauders brought together all three artefacts; to keep them from Voldemort who coveted them. This is not the original cloak; which is in the possession of its rightful owner, Harry Potter, who is descended from the Peverell brother who made it. My mother holds in trust the Peverell Ring for her younger brother who is the rightful owner to that; and the Elder wand is no longer the only wand made of elder as my little sister Lilith has one too. Voldemort coveted the wand above all else; and Gellert Grindelwald died at his hands refusing to tell him where it was, for which I give Grindelwald honour. He was subverted by the Dark Arts; I think he set out meaning well. A dark lesson to ALL of us; Marauders especially as we are the ones who interfere. Sorry, history lesson over; I made that cloak using the same principles the Peverell brothers did, with fey magic."

"Fraulein! I bow to your mastery!" said Zlatko, doing so.

Jade grinned.

"The Arithmancy was long, complex, and tied everyone else except mum, dad and Hermione Granger-Weasley into knots" she said "And my brother Seagh who's half fey said he er, didna have tae ken the theory whiles he might dae whit his sisther told him as though that was ony different tae usual."

Zlatko laughed.

"I think all brothers feel like that" he said. "Natural and twinned as well as adopted."

Zlatka poked him.

They set off to see the passage; and Jade felt as thrilled as she always did with a new secret passage.

The door embrasure was deep and had archways of decorative stonework to left and right as well as over the door set within it; and on the left, the twisting of a carving in the capstone from which the decorative arch sprang caused the stone to swing back, showing that it was not mere decorative feature.

"Did you try the one on the other side?" asked Jade.

Xanthippe stared.

"There wouldn't be two, would there?" she asked.

Jade shrugged.

"You never know until you try; if there is, I vote we explore that first."

The same carving yielded no results; nor the opposite capstone.

"Oh well, it was worth trying" said Xanthe.

"We haven't finished trying yet" said Jade "I've explored more secret passages than you, my poppets. Is not the carving of that heraldic device on the capstone a bit more positive than on the other side? Let's try…. Zlatko, you're taller than the rest of us, give it a poke."

Zlatko grinned and poked; and the other side swung obediently back.

"Donner und Blitzen!" said Xanthippe "I would not have thought it!"

"German mentality; matching pairs" said Jade. "We shall dust it as we go; important my children, both to hide your own misdeeds through avoiding getting grubby; and to avoid anyone else finding YOUR footprints on a dusty floor."

Xanthe and Xanthippe looked guiltily at each other.

"We, er, were too excited to clear the other" said Xanthe "Besides, the dust is still there if you sweep it up."

"That's why you use _evanesco_" said Jade "And banish the dust entirely."

"It's not a spell we know" said Xanthippe.

"Well none of you will learn any younger" said Jade cheerfully.

The passage was narrow; and led about thirty yards before turning sharp left and up a narrow and treacherous flight of stairs next to a hot wall.

"This'll be a chimney" said Jade.

The mechanism was much corroded at the other end of the stairs; and Jade summoned machine oil from the end of her wand to ease it.

With a little working – very gentle working in case there was anyone beyond the secret door – Jade eased it open and discovered that they were looking out onto the staff common room, which she recognised so well from the view from the magic mirror as well now as doing corrections in there. Fortunately it was unoccupied, those of the staff who were still up preferring on the whole to work in their own studies.

She shut the door before anyone came out.

"Where is it?" asked Zlatka.

"Staffroom" said Jade "Ah. And another Marauding secret; you now know Parseltongue; and so you can operate the magic mirror over the mantelpiece in the staffroom that has a twin in the marauding room in Hogwarts; say **ssss **_activate surveillance __**ssss**_ to see through the other way; and incidentally get to talk to one of the portraits who can contact other people."

"Marauding secrets are fun" said Xanthippe "It's sort of nice to feel we're part of something that's been going a long time and that our children might one day sneak around these passages too!"

"It is good" said Jade. "Right; let's dust and look at your other passage; then back to the marauding turret to map them both!"

And mapping secret passages with explanations on how it was done, and drinking cocoa, Jade reflected that it was good to be part of something so profound as Marauding; and hoping that one day Ralph would be a Marauder!

Señor Carcano had arranged the trip to Belsornia for the upper and lower sixth; and was glad that it was still some time before the Unicorn mare was due to give birth. Prince Franz had been dubious until he had spoken to Jade by floo in the holidays but had been glad to learn that Carcano was a real scholar. And the small fee to be given a guided tour of the dragon reservation and a view of the winged horses would all help their small country.

The three upper sixth and as many lower sixth were to go; and Prince Franz had set up a portkey so that the Durmstrnag youths would be travelling to where he wanted them to go and nowhere else.

They were met by Victor, who bowed and clicked his heels to Señor Carcano and greeted Jade as 'Cousin Nefrita' with a kiss on each cheek.

"Pris breeding again yet?" asked Jade.

"No, we thought we'd wait" said Victor. "There's no big hurry; we have one child and we have made arrangements that Sandalla's twin Svetlana is to be the spare as you might say."

Sandalla's twin was born a muggle that ODESSA had planned to use as the little girl's double to torture in front of her father, Irun of Zorn, the hidden magical part of Belsornia; and Sandalla had blooded with Svetlana to give her magical powers. Both little girls were Marauders at Prince Peak.

Jade had seen the dragons up close a few times more often than she really cared to recall; but she had to admit that Señor Carcarno's commentary on them and on the mating dances high up in the sky, utterly ignoring the insignificant figures so far below, were quite fascinating, especially with the omnioculars to bring them closer. This would go down well on Wizarding Wireless Vision as well, thought Jade!

The Principality of Belsornia had also provided a most excellent wizarding marquee for them to eat a magnificent picnic lunch in and write up their notes before going on to see the flying horses; and its toilets were more than adequate, fully equipped with built in _evaneso_ spells, the faucets being water summoning charms. Jade appreciated the subtlety and detail of the enchantment more than she had before, since wizarding tents were just something she accepted as normal. It was a nice illustration of the difference between a charm and an enchantment; that the effect was reproducible and useable by anyone; even a muggle invited in could use the effects. And the whole business could not be banished by a _finite incantatum._ Enchanting was a specialist field in itself and whilst many of its effects might be duplicated by chanting to some extent, the full subtlety of enchantment was easier to appreciate in such a nicely enchanted thing as this tent; because whilst one might pull up an enlargement of internal space with a chant the other features required a dedicated set of spells. Well, reflected Jade, she might study enchantment while she was teaching; and study Geomancy further, and maybe ask Assim Khan to recommend some Comparative Magic texts too.

There was always more to learn!

After lunch they rode on brooms to the cave where the flying horses lived; and Prince Franz had given Señor Carcano himself permission to film them; on the principle that if they were included in a programme about flying horses they would excite less interest than if they were left out.

Orlando Carcano also got a little sidetracked by what he declared was a sub-species of the common graphorn and must needs get that recorded too; the graphorn females had birthed and he had some excellent shots of kids, showing the more greyish colouration of the juveniles so they could be left to hide motionless among the rocks. He had filmed the juveniles from the valley where the class had watched the graphorns mating; and was delighted to find these juveniles here were paler and mottled, more like the rocks of the mountains that edged Belsornia. The adults too were a slightly different colour and this illustrated selective breeding in action, as Carcano said excitedly.

Jade, having firmly studied Darwin as a reaction to the fundamentalist approach of the orphanage, was interested; the rest seemed less so.

Well, Señor Carcano would doubtless discuss it with David Fraser!

The horses were as beautiful as ever and permitted the visitors to approach right up to them and pet them; but they soon got a little restive and drew back. Carcano however was overjoyed and thanked them gravely as the lead stallion withdrew. The herd leader inclined his head solemnly and Carcano beamed!

It was a long Saturday; but well worth it!

"I shouldn't be surprised if there were other magical beasts not even catalogued in that valley" said Carcano to Jade "I plan to ask Prince Franz if I may visit alone, obviously clearing anything I discover with him before publishing anything; but it's unspoilt and untrampled by muggles!"

"I should think if you find any new species he'd be glad" said Jade "Because having a Wizarding World protection order bunged on something means he has even more ties to the Wizarding World and even more protection. Being Prince Consort of a muggle state that knows about us is a slightly nervous existence in many ways until the International Wizarding Council is entirely satisfied that it works. The fact that there are two at least magical species protected by the muggles there has helped; and the willingness of the muggles to permit international Quidditch matches has helped too. You need Kathleen Delaney; she's a muggle, but she's s first class wildlife photographer. Her son is a cousin of my dad; he's teaching part time at Prince Peak. Dad had a cousin who specialised in seducing vulnerable people like muggles and squibs; his many children are talented but he was a git. Kathleen is cool; she lives with a squib who has had health problems, and whose daughter just married Callum – Kathleen's son. She kept up her muggle job until Lucius talked her into helping with Wizarding Wireless Vision; it's a bit incestuous really, because Cal's oldest half brother is running the whole show under Lucius. Lucius would be delighted to fund any exploratory missions you want to go on, you know; he's really enthusiastic."

"He is a wonderful man; full of vision and, more to the point, full of the loot to fund his vision!" enthused Carcano "Yes; I shall see if I might borrow this good lady's services!"

Jade smiled quietly to herself.

Carcano was a man who would like to protect a little woman, and Kathleen was clever enough to be protected. And he was expansive enough to take on Kathleen and her friend Anastasia Strong both! It would be nice for Kathleen to have a wizarding husband now Callum had his own life to lead with his wife; she had devoted herself to his interests and protected him all her life, she deserved a bit of happiness; and Orlando Carcano was a good man, and a very pleasant one.

Matchmaking was a very uncertain business, but there was no harm pushing two people you liked into proximity with each other and seeing if they managed to get any further for themselves; if anything came of it, that was nice; if not, well, it mattered little.

Not like mum threatening to shut Hermione and Ron in a cold bedroom together without any clothes!

Jade spent several evenings checking on the unicorn with Señor Carcano; and took such of the little girl fags as were interested as chaperones, on the principle that if anyone saw her alone with a male staff member there would be gossip at best and ill natured comments and accusations at worst. Wencelada was her most common volunteer, though technically Rodica's fag; probably as much for the chance to chatter in Spanish to Señor Carcano as any deep interest in unicorns. Cacilia came out once or twice, declaring it part of her studies; Seppi Buser would not come. Seppi liked to be the one in charge and having to give way to Jade, who as a girl could better approach the unicorns, gave him a fit of the sulks. Seppi complained that Carcano was too bossy and got the unsympathetic return that it took one to know one. Jade rather admired the way Carcano handled the boy, and did not let him monopolise his attention or conversation. Carcano was adept at using a pause for breath to boom some comment of his own and turn to one of the girls with a question.

Wulf did not come either; as well as being male he had been a werewolf for so long he thought he smelt inherently of wolf; and whether he did or not, if he believed he did, his nervousness over not upsetting the unicorns would upset the unicorns. He enjoyed seeing the omniocular footage; but stayed at the castle with Ralph.

Then one evening the mare was whinnying at Jade's approach, moving painfully towards her; and Jade went right up to the creature, feeling in with her healer's senses to find out what was wrong, using the revelaspell too as backup.

The mare was in labour but the foals within her were tangled in each other. Jade stroked her sweating nose and began a chant; a chant such as Lydia had used when she and her group had healed Viktor Krumm. Above the mare appeared the view of her showing her womb transparent to the gaze with the tangled foals within. Jade stroked the mare's flanks and continued chanting, moving her arms and hands, using the chant to carry her motions inside the poor beast; moving the first foal into the birth canal, turning the second one; and then easing the slippery foals out one at a time, making sure they were breathing, using the blood group to give them strength to stand; and making sure that the mare was not so exhausted that she would have milk for them. They did not glow as gold as the other foals Jade had seen; they were almost greenish-bronze when first born, as though verdigrised; and the greenishness rapidly went off and the coat lightened from deep coppery bronze to bright gold as they dried.

And the mare nickered at her and blew breathily in Jade's ear.

"You're welcome, old girl" said Jade "I can't say it's a process I'm that keen on myself." She petted the unicorn; did a final check on the foals; and left them to it.

They would be fine now.

"That was amazing – amazing!" said Carcano. Cacilia nodded soberly; she was with them this evening.

"Did you get your shots of her birthing?" asked Jade "I was too busy making sure she did to do much watching at the business end – not physically anyhow. I was watching through the chant."

"I did; and I have some shots of your magnificent chanting too, because it may help to teach those who want to learn animal healing" said Carcano.

Jade hesitated; then nodded.

"I can't say that the same chant would be universally successful; I included a lot of quite specific references to the nature of unicorns" she said "And also went for a picture of the womb; which would be no use for the healing of an arrow in the spleen of even another unicorn."

"Who would shoot a unicorn?" Carcano was shocked. Jade shrugged.

"Voldemort killed unicorns to keep himself alive; and accidents DO happen" she added "Especially as Centaurs tend to be a little hasty, and some of them shoot first and check that there isn't someone or something else in the firing line first. And though a unicorn's own blood heals, a foreign object would need to be removed with care. It was an example; really a healer would have to learn enough chanting to draw up a picture of anything he needed. When you're healing people who can talk about their ills or think about them at least you can get a self image of the pain from them; the chanting is valuable for creatures who cannot tell you where it hurts or for people who are unconscious. It was what was used for Viktor Krumm when ODESSA tried to kill him. Without the ability to see all the internal injuries he would have died as they had planned. It was why I hesitated; it was an ace in the hole that his friends could heal him and others might not be so skilled. But it takes a deal of dedication to be a really good chanter; a dedication few enough of the bad guys have, because they want quick and instant gratification in more cases than not. If you want to join the Chanting classes, Señor Carcano, I think it best to wait until I run a new batch next year; the others are all well on. I thought I should continue to teach as a voluntary class on Friday evenings if Madam Bacsó is willing; and if any are ready for examination level, perhaps we might negotiate to use an English exam paper and borrow an English examiner."

"I had not realised just what it could do!" Carcano was very impressed "It is a skill that any sensible person should learn; though I can't say I shall enjoy learning in a group of eleven year olds!"

"Oh I should think that you, like Professor Rebet, have the self confidence and personal dignity not to suffer from that" said Jade firmly. Stroking the egos of professors unsure how to cope when learning beside children was second nature to her now, having learned by watching Krait.

And by suggesting that Professor Rebet had coped would put Carcano on his mettle to cope as well; nothing like a bit of mild masculine rivalry!

"Will you girls help me edit the shots we have, some for medical teaching and some just to show the miracle of birth as part of the unicorn's life?" he asked. Both Jade and Cacilia agreed readily enough; it was important to get the various programmes just right to show in Wizarding Wireless Vision.

And it would be a joy to do as well.

And Jade enjoyed watching the recordings and seeing the pictures of the healthy foals being born as though without trouble, standing their first and taking those first wobbly steps, helping with the editing to leave out the shadowy figure of herself to one side of the shot where she was busy chanting strength into them. Nobody had ever even described let alone filmed such a birth before. The colour changes too had never been described; indeed, Señor Carcano was of the opinion that if anyone had ever seen a unicorn born before they had not spoken of it.

"Almost I don't want to speak of it either" said Jade with a sigh "It was so magical and special; and we were allowed to intrude only because that poor mare needed help."

"Perhaps then I should mention that I and my colleagues were privileged beyond normal because the unicorn mare required help and was willing to let us approach" said Carcano "So nobody gets the fool idea that they can sneak up to watch willy-nilly."

"And if they did I suspect the stallions would run them off" said Jade. "Unicorns are gentle creatures; but I'd be willing to wager that if anyone approached a birthing mare in the normal way they'd find that the horns aren't all for show!"

"I'd not say you're not right at that" said Carcano.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

The exams were upon them; and Jade was delighted to start off with Arithmancy. Though she had not studied for the last term or so, her knowledge was well above the level being examined; and had been for a considerable while. She calculated with aplomb the maxima and minima for the brewing of an unnamed potion according to formulae that affected it through freshness of ingredients and made a note at the bottom of her calculations – rather a waspish note – that a potioneer would judge better by feel and appearance how to brew Felix and that the Arithmancy could only ever be a guide. Then she calculated the best route to take from one place to another and concluded that the second route, the second shortest, was the best because it was an exact number of wizarding miles and was therefore divisible by seven factorial that would make the use of geomantic shift easier, whilst noting that the other route was the shortest; next she wrote an essay on the uses of Wenlock numbers in modern Arithmancy. Since she also included the uses in chanting she went well beyond what the examiner was looking for; and it should be pointed out that a slightly bemused Czech examiner wrote to Severus Snape to ask for confirmation that Wenlock numbers were indeed used extensively in chanting.

The next section was a series of short questions involving such things as working out counter curses, the way to determine the location of the leg of a splinched wizard and the best time for a given witch and wizard to get married, at which Jade abandoned seriousness for levity and wrote 'before the baby arrives'. She already had enough to get an 'O' grade she knew unless she mucked up the last question; another long one involving a number of factors, being the working necessary to open up a section of wizarding space and the concealment of it behind a wall as a new shopping and transport centre in Berlin. Jade thought it a piece of cake and amused herself to fill in time by adding her own additions such as the calculations for a direct transference node to various other major cities and the lodge of Durmstrang.

Since Jade mentioned this to Madam Bacsó later and since Agata was now seriously ready to interfere in German policy, this became the basis for a revolutionary transport proposal later that year.

After Arithmancy came potions.

The European system required the brewing of a long potion over as long as it took earlier in the term as part of the practical to check that the students had staying power; and their Professor and Head both required to certificate that they had received no help. Jade had been delighted that the potion had been Veritaserum, a potion she knew well and had helped her father to brew. Veritaserum took a full moon cycle to mature; and the class had set it up before the holidays ended to be sure of having plenty of time to complete it; and the potions were locked away between the times the students were working on them. Since Clovis Gierek had become a more friendly figure it was a convivial enough class; and only Lazlo and Bertel were having any trouble, although that was nothing unusual. Their potions were still faintly cloudy when decanted.

The actual practical, shorter than the English NEWT for this reason, involved brewing the antidote to veritaserum. Jade wrote out Golapott on general principles and noted that under certain circumstances, as Veritaserum could increase in strength over time if kept in an environment over eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit Golapott's second law became relevant. She also added a quite unnecessary arithmantic note of how long varying doses of the antidote – up to the limit of the safe levels – should be taken before anticipating being given Veritaserum, by way of a prophylactic.

She enjoyed the written exam; the first section required identifying a number of potions from description and writing in what, if anything, was required to complete them; the second section covered the brewing of Felix Felicis and its pitfalls; and the final section was a number of short paragraph style questions on general principles and laws such as Golapott's three laws. A final question asked 'what is the most commonly used law in potioneering?' to which Jade wrote;

"Snape's first law; when dealing with twelve year olds, the little dunderheads will choose the moment to let their wits go wandering at the point at which they can produce the loudest, smelliest or most toxic disaster from their cauldrons."

They had probably wanted Golapott's first law; but they got Jade's opinion instead, and any examiner who had ever taught would probably credit her with some marks!

Nobody apart from Cacilia had enjoyed the exam as much as Jade, even Gierek bemoaning the need to identify potions from description not sight and actual smell.

"It's to cover what happens if you get asked to identify something in a hurry by floo or owl" said Jade "I thought they were all quite straight forward; especially the Amortentia with the description 'it smells pleasant to YOU and silver spirals rise from it'; either one of those descriptives gives it away straight off."

"Oh is THAT what is was?" said Lazlo "I thought it was a rum thing to say, 'it smells pleasant to YOU', I thought how the hell does he know what smells pleasant to me?"

"Of course Amortentia smells of whatever the brewer – or anyone who sniffs it – finds pleasant" said Jade. "Which can be revealing to those people who are in love and haven't realised it because it's bound to involve things about the person that attracts them."

"What was the third one?" asked Gierek.

"Wolfbane right before you throw in the moonstone" said Jade "Smells like dogbreath, looks like liquid dog turd; after the moonstone it goes clear and colourless."

"Ah! Of course!" said Gierek "It becomes obsolete though, with a cure, no?"

"It does; at least to some extent" said Jade "But as the serum that creates the cure is made of the blood of those who have taken the original cure or rather the second stage cure it's in limited supply so I guess knowing Wolfbane is going to be relevant for a while."

"What was the original cure?"

"A youth of sixteen who had pledged support for a child born of an absconding werewolf father pledged to undertake a blood ritual to give her his blood while he took blood replenishing potions" said Jade "Their blood was used first for the first experimental cures, with additions and proper potioneering applications; and that caused a painful cure. It was found to be less painful when the blood of one werewolf was used in a familial context. A number of people formed a blood ritual group with a cured werewolf and his blood was used and was found to be sufficiently reduced in pain that the chance of dying of shock was reduced to near nil"

"THAT much pain? The original testers were bloody heroes!" said Gierek.

"I AM rather proud of my husband" said Jade. "His blood in my stepdaughter proved that familial connection could help."

"You're Jade Snape, aren't you? And you're part of the blood ritual that made the serum? Tell me, did you use the blood magic stuff to win the Triwizard?" demanded Gierek.

"Yes I am, yes I am, and no I didn't. I don't cheat; cheating cheapens one's own efforts" said Jade.

He nodded.

"That's a reason I can accept more than any protestations of it being wrong; you don't compromise your performance" he said.

"By the way, did you ever perfect your potion to turn people into pigs?" asked Bertel.

Jade pulled a face.

"What with ODESSA I haven't quite got there; I have most of the ingredients and I've set up a brewing; I'm basing methodology on Polyjuice potion because Circe wrote about it taking a while to set up some of the ingredients and a flaming nuisance to have them available for only a small part of the year; so I reckoned that lacewings stewed for twenty-one days was probably a part of it."

"But Polyjuice potion causes problems that need proper medical attention if you get fur in it" said Traudl. "Heinrich thought it would be funny to keep one of the fags tied up and use polyjuice potion to spy on them; and the kid he picked – it was Axel actually – had stroked a cat and some of its fur got in the potion and Thom – he made Thom take it – had to be sorted out by Professor Rebet."

"Yes; obviously. But I'm not using polyjuice potion; only the methodology for it and some ingredients" said Jade patiently. "And I fancy you'd have to research the ingredients for every animal change separately. I'm also brewing Mandragora as an antidote for whichever volunteers want to try it at the end of term; and then I suggest we poison all the first years with it and see if anyone notices the difference."

As she winked when she said that, even Traudl laughed.

The next exam was the four hour paper of Ancient Runes.

As one of the pieces was the short section of Bactrian logograms found in the text book that they had done original research on, Jade reckoned the whole class must be laughing! Norse runes featured heavily and Jade realised as she started one translation that she was transcribing Egil Skalagrimsson's prophylactic against poison; and wrote with facility and ease. The early Aryan symbols were a bit harder but Jade had worked hard on them and soon had translated that passage.

The ZH was a tough exam; and the final question was a phrase in German; 'circles within circles turns the world around me'; and the instruction to translate it into Norse Runes and any two other runic forms of the examinee's choice. Jade had little difficulty since this was what she did routinely for chanted measures; and produced her other two translations in Gaelic written in Oghams and in Ancient Greek.

She then reworked each of them for a second translation that was a freer translation to keep the spirit and to be, as she noted, better for use if it was to be used in either time or place affecting ritual. The Gaelic loaned itself particularly well to the phrase because of the Celtic concept of the wheel of life; and the Greeks too venerated the circle as a pure shape. Jade suspected that the choice of language dictated some of the marks and made notes about why she had chosen them.

She had almost certainly written far more than she needed; but then, Jade was busy making herself a leading authority on Ancient Runes without actually realising that she was doing so.

Jade liked studying ancient runes; and Traudl and Bertel threatened to scrag her for claiming it was a nice relaxing paper.

The Transfiguration exam consisted of three long essays and a short paper; the first long essay was on the theory of summoning; and as usual Jade wrote too much at a level well beyond ZH, referencing Jade Snape in 'Transfiguration Today' because it tickled her sense of humour to do so. The second was on assimilative correlation, on which Jade was also well away; and the third called for explanations on the reasons for Gamp's exceptions. Jade enjoyed it; and if the rest of her class did not exactly enjoy it, at least the debates they had had with Jade, and the extra work Jade had done with such as Franziska and Volodya meant that they answered all the long questions with more aplomb than they might have otherwise done.

The short questions were easy enough, Jade thought, and were probably there to test if the student knew enough to scrape an 'A' even if unable to formulate a high level argument in the long questions.

"I liked that" said Jade to her group "I think it was actually tougher than the NEWT; if it's typical I think I'll write to the English exam board and complain that we've been devalued."

"I'm told that the English have a harder practical so it may be balanced that way" said Cacilia.

"Oh well, after lunch we'll see" said Jade.

Jade discovered that the practical was significantly easier than the English practical; candidates were given a slip of paper ten minutes ahead of time with just two practical tests on it; to perform a summoning spell of their choice; and to make a transfiguration non-animus to animate from a choice of a fiddle, a rock, and a china piggy-bank. The transfiguration from non-animus to animate was presented at this level as being more advanced than the other way round; though it was relatively easy to restore an animal one had made into something. Jade pondered on doing the fiddle to cat transfiguration that was the most difficult in this group; or whether to be entirely unconventional and use assimilative correlation by nomenclature and take the rock into Roc rather than – as was expected, she suspected – taking it into tortoise by use of assimilative correlation by association.

She smiled brightly at the examiner when she was called.

"I shall be using assimilative correlation by nomenclature" she said "Because Der Felsen is named in English 'rock, R-O-C-K' and I will therefore associate that with the mythical beast, the Roc."

"But it doesn't exist!" said the examiner.

Jade smiled brightly.

"Then it will be a test of my transfigurational skills to see if I can produce a creature that exists purely in myth, won't it?" she said.

If the examiner had banned this outright, Jade had decided to comply; but he looked nervous, nodded, and suggested standing at a safe distance from the transfiguration.

Jade explained that she was taking this difficult transfiguration through the intermediate stage of seeing the rock as an egg for the monstrous bird and the examiner nodded approval.

And then the egg appeared briefly, hatched and grew to adult proportions of the kind of Roc mentioned in the stories of Sinbad the sailor.

"My word, they ARE big" said Jade mildly.

"Turn it back!" said the examiner in real – and not unreasonable – panic.

"Actually it's against my ethics to take away awareness once given; but I guess it can't live as that" said Jade. "I guess association is the key….." and she promptly turned the Roc into a hippogriff and went to bow to it, absently summoning a dead rat from the end of her wand and giving it enough substance of permanence to feed her new pet.

With this level of transfiguration the temperature in the great hall had dropped considerably; and the examiner watched in wonder.

Jade turned to him with a smile as the hippogriff devoured the rat.

"And now the summoning?" she said.

"You have summoned the rat for the hippogriff very adequately" said the examiner.

"Oh, were you going to count that? I thought that was just an incidental" said Jade "Of course I laid permanency on it so it counted as food; one can get round Gamp's exceptions with a little ingenuity. I was going to do something a little more intricate."

"MORE intricate than permanencing a creature? Very well" said the examiner.

Jade produced a bunch of Severia from the end of her wand, the lower end wrapped in peat and held in a net with a ribbon around the stalks; and the beautiful scent filled the Hall.

"This is Severia; it was created some years ago in England by Krait Malfoy Snape and has healing properties. I put roots on it so you can plant it; it needs to be spread about as it has many virtues" said Jade.

"It – the flower is plain but the scent is wonderful!" said the examiner. "Yes; a much more subtle and intricate summoning to use such a powerful scent; and permanenced?"

"Of course" said Jade. "If I was you I'd put it out of where you can't smell it when you grade me; it tends to put one into a good mood."

"That, young lady, is the most remarkably honest thing I have ever come across in all my years examining" said the examiner. "Very well; take the bunch through to the anteroom and ask an elf to take care of it for me."

Jade did so; leading the hippogriff out and summoned an elf to lead the hippogriff to the stables and take care of the examiner's flowers.

"All right, now I'm confused; I had you down for turning the fiddle into a cat" said Franziska. "Where does a hippogriff come from? I can't follow the assimilative correlation of that at all; I didn't even know you could transfigure into fantastic beasts!"

Jade grinned.

"Actually, he's the transfiguration from my transfiguration" she said; and told them what she had done.

"Talk about having the cheek of the devil!" said Cacilia.

"She is incredible!" said Franziska.

"I did piggy bank to guinea pig" said Volodya "Which I thought was a little less obvious and worth a few more marks."

Thom Bilkvam was scowling; he had turned the piggy bank into a pig and had not thought of guinea pig.

"I did fiddle to cat" said Mereta Ulvang "It is the most advanced; you will lose marks for choosing the rock; I will be the only 'O' student."

"And that goes to prove that you've missed the point and are only a ZH level student" said Jade scornfully. She did not like Mereta, who may not have joined Nachtigall's gang but who was a patronising and sneering girl convinced of her own academic superiority; rather like Fenella Fenwick without the saving grace of good intentions as Jade described her to herself. "You perform mechanically; but you cannot do anything new. The examiner was excited to see if a non-existent mythical beast could be made of pure magic. And I bet you didn't permanence whatever you summoned either."

"Why should I? The test is to summon."

Jade groaned.

"You poor sap! You can't ever look beyond the basic, can you? You'll get your 'O' – but you'll never learn more until you unlearn your by-the-book attitude!"

"You are rude."

"And you are not for second-guessing the examiner and trying to put me down? You make me sick, Ulvang; you have no vices but nor do you have any virtues. Go away; I find you boring. You have no ambition or drive to learn further."

"There are no higher exams than ZH; what are you talking about?" said Ulvang.

"Most people call it 'life' said Jade dryly "And that's what research is all about; the sort of things that get written about in 'Transfiguration Today'; that you probably take and fail to understand the subtleties. You probably didn't even understand Jade Snape's article."

Ulvang flushed; she had not understood much of it but as there had been favourable comment from other transfigurationists did not like to pooh-pooh it.

Jade's words were further reinforced as Attila Nagy bounced into the room and kissed her on both cheeks.

"Ah, but you were right to drop my class to teach; there is nothing I can teach you, nothing! You are a true transfigurationist, the only true transfigurationist I have ever taught!"

"But Professor, she chose the rock; the most marks go to the fiddle!" said Ulvang.

Nagy turned to her in impatience.

"Have you learned nothing, you stupid girl?" he cried "The highest marks go to the most complex transfiguration! Fiddle to cat is harder than rock to tortoise; but the use of English nomenclature; ah, that is brilliant, just brilliant! Fraulein Von Strang has the feel, the instinct; you are very good so far as you go, Fraulein Ulvang, but you are a mechanic, you go through the motions! You FEEL no more than that rock! Ah, I have this day been privileged, privileged!" he kissed Jade again and bounced off.

"He's so very suddenly" said Jade.

"And devastatingly honest" said Cacilia "Which isn't kind to Ulvang but then she did rather bring it on herself by making fatuous comments at him."

Ulvang was looking shocked and not a little devastated.

"Well, I'm sorry but I can't waste sympathy on Ulvang" said Jade "She's always sneering at people and it's been detrimental to their studies. Let her fester in her own little world of limitations."

"Here here" said Volodya, who had suffered enough from Mereta's sneers.

"Hey, Volodya, are you going to ask your parents to pay for a year of post-ZH study at Prince Peak?" asked Jade "If you learned Chanting intensively and music in magic, you could come back and teach here."

Volodya looked thoughtful.

"It would be a way to have a career using music" he said "I have never fancied being a performer; I will speak to them."

The Dark Arts exam was next. Jade was more nervous for her students than she was for herself; and shook hands with them all; except Thom Billkvam who refused her proffered hand.

The written paper contained questions on the unforgivable curses and on what methods might be used to curse wounds into being incurable; and on a number of curses and their specific effects. Jade wrote knowledgably; and went on to answer questions on dark creatures. The nature of dementors and werewolves were well known to her, and huorns more than anyone in Durmstrang! Jade did not find it hard though she did find the emphasis on making curses rather than breaking them a little disturbing.

"How did you find it?" she asked her class.

"Easier than I expected" said Franziska.

"Easy" said Clovis.

"Not bad" said Traudl.

"Straightforward" said Ritter.

Thom Billkvam and Stepanka Frolika just shrugged; but they had chosen to sulk about being taught by another student and Jade could not be bothered with their prima donna behaviour.

The practical was after lunch; and Jade was last as she had been in Transfiguration for her surname.

The form was not the same as in the English Defence Against the Dark Arts, which was a direct duel; Jade knew she was expected to demonstrate the unforgivable curses on rats; and the class had been given a week to produce a cursed item. Jade had made hers to at least be of some use.

They had also to demonstrate the most advanced curse they knew.

"The most advanced curse I know is the production of a horcrux so I shan't use that since murdering the examiner is a little counter productive" said Jade, smiling brightly.

It was the bright smile rather than the mention of a horcrux that made the examiner pale.

"Very well; you had better demonstrate what else you can do" he said.

Jade smiled again and pulled out the chant she had used on Schrempf. It was easily far more advanced than anything any of the others would be able to do.

When she had released the shaken examiner he asked,

"Did you learn that one from Herr Hesse? I cannot see Fraulein Schrempf knowing it."

"Oh no sir; I made it up as I went along to cast on Hedda Schrempf when she tried to cast the cruciatus curse on me" said Jade. "I didn't like her."

"Are you the young lady who reduced her to the state of being a vegetable?"

"Yes; she was trying to kill my fag. Madam Bacsó has exonerated me of any blame. I jerked her ghost out of her body; I made a mistake and left the body living" said Jade coldly. "You may find her ghost in the forest; I set fire to it to burn for eternity. I doubt she can explain how I did it though" she added "Being permanently on fire is a little distracting."

The examiner shuddered.

"You appear to be a very talented young lady; though I hear you are part English?"

"I was reared English" said Jade "In England I was taught that if you start anything you should be thorough and carry it through. Schrempf believed that because the English study defensive arts that we are incapable of offensive actions. That was a bad mistake."

"Apparently; will you demonstrate the unforgivable curses on these rats?"

Jade regarded him thoughtfully.

"As an English girl I am a sentimentalist and cannot bear cruelty to animals" she said "It is not a fair test; I will demonstrate the Imperious Curse and the Cruciatus Curse on you as examiner. I will reserve the killing curse for a rat. Then you may better grade me for my willpower; any idiot can control an animal with the imperious curse."

Which saying she made the examiner stand on one leg and dance the waltz; then released him from that and said quietly,

"_Crucio_" without much emphasis; gave him time to attempt to counter; and released him. "You did not counter it; why was that, sir?" she asked.

He stared.

"COUNTER?" he said "There is no counter, surely?"

"Then the English system is proved superior; for I can defend as well as attack" said Jade "If you will cast the curse on me I will demonstrate."

The agony of the cruciatus curse washed her; and Jade forced her will to put up shield charm and nullify pain as a simultaneous spell. She rose from her knees where the initial agony had driven her and nodded to the examiner.

"Like that" she said. "One casts wordless and wandless because the concentration to speak as well as cast is a little difficult. A combination of _finite cruciatum_ and the shield charm. Easy enough."

He was shaken.

"Let – let us see you deal with the rat" he said.

Jade glanced at a rat of her choice and in a flash of green light the creature died.

"Sorry; I forgot to use my wand" she said laconically. "The incantation is _avada kedavra_ if one troubles to use it; the unforgivable curses are so simple one scarcely after all needs wand or word for them; hardly worth working up a sweat for."

The examiner was thinking, these English are terrible!

"I should like to see your cursed item" he said.

Jade handed over the simple belt.

Gritting his teeth, the examiner put it on.

The pain! He screamed!

Jade watched impassively. She had known that one of the castle elves was nearing her time and hoped to have got her timing right; for the belt transferred the pain to the wearer.

"The effect is to remove all the negative aspects of giving birth from the nearest female who is doing so; transferring them instead to the wearer of the belt to give the female in question a better chance of survival" said she, in the impersonal tone she used to lecture. "The pain does no lasting harm to the wearer of the belt; I am not sure if it truly counts as a cursed item, but there seemed no point cursing an item without it having some practical point. Wherein is the point of cursing someone just for the sake of it? It is a waste of magical skill and ability" she said. "If more men had such belts they'd be a little bit more careful about how often they got their wives pregnant. I'll leave you to enjoy it; as I'm last anyway."

"No!" he howled "Take it off me!" his own hands could not undo the buckle; that was part of the curse too.

"Why?" said Jade "You are fulfilling a useful function; I'm sure the unfortunate woman giving birth would prefer you to keep it on. After all, she's suffering the physical damage that you are not."

"PLEASE!" he cried "I swear I shall let my wife use contraceptive herbs!"

"Well for that I'm prepared to let you off it" said Jade and undid the belt. She then buckled it around her own waist and regarded him snakily, hiding the agony as it hit her, passing it off to those of her group who were not pregnant. "Men make such a fuss about a little pain" she added and walked out.

"You made the examiner scream a lot" commented Ritter.

"He didn't like my cursed item; this belt. That I AM using blood magic to deal with; it's currently passing the pains of an elf woman birthing in the kitchens."

"It is their function" said Gierek.

"Oh? Are YOU brave enough to experience it?" asked Jade "If so, you'll have to undo the belt; part of the curse is that I can't."

"All right" said Gierek, undoing the buckle and doing the belt up around him. He promptly went grey. "Donner und Blitzen!" he gasped "Women must do this to have babies?"

"For hour after hour" said Jade "And no midwifery spells for the likes of elves or goblins; no wonder many are born sickly. And internal tearing to the mother often too; elves have outsize heads and the mothers are damaged more than humans, though elf babies are born with elongated heads to help this. The pain is about of the level I recall birthing Ralph; who was quick and only took seven hours to arrive."

"Seven hours? I'll never get a woman pregnant!" swore Gierek.

"The results are worth it; I don't regret the pain for Ralph" said Jade "Use pain dulling potions and midwifery spells and use contraceptive herbs to allow her body to recover between each child; three years is recommended. Now I'm off to deliver that elf baby properly; someone take the belt off Clovis."

"Huh; I can take it" said Gierek "I'd not choose to go to school with elves or goblins or mudbloods but they have their place in society; and if the elf dies it diminishes our servants here."

"Pass it around" said Jade "It'll drop once I've gotten midwifery spells on her."

With that she apparated directly to the birthing elf and proceeded to take over, casting pain diminishing spells and easing spells to help draw the baby out more smoothly and easily; and soon the baby elf was in her arms, and she was smoothing his head into shape.

And she stripped off one of her socks and gave it to the baby to hold; to the gasps of the female elves present.

"He can seek for me for paid employment when he is old enough" said Jade. "As is no shame! And you must take him to England at some point when you are recovered; unless you have been one to run message?"

"No mistress; but I have heard of it!" said the tired little elf "Please, mistress, why did the pain stop before you came?"

Jade laughed.

"Because Herr Gierek agreed to wear a belt I made that took the pain onto himself" she said "He is brave for a male creature; and worthy of being given honour."

"Oh I do honour him for it!" cried the little elf.

Jade grinned; and left her. The little creature would do all she could to show her appreciation to Gierek before he left school; and if he got sufficiently attached to her, Jade planned to suggest that he give her a sock and pay her to work for him.

The last person she would have considered using to help free elves; but then she had not expected him to pull out such an argument as that even despised races should be given aid.

Gierek was deep!


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Care of Magical beasts was the next exam that Jade was taking.

She wrote assiduously, choosing three essays from the choice of five; Jade picked 'Discuss why Murtlaps may be found in association with Mackled Malaclaws'; 'Outline the significant features that differentiate the different kinds of dragons' and 'describe in detail the psychology of the hippogriff and discuss in which ways this leads to both advantages and disadvantages in the handling of the creature."

She discarded 'Describe in detail with illustration the life cycle of the Billlywig' and ' give examples of the illnesses to which magical horses and horse-like beings may be prone'; this latter was too easy and Jade considered that it was almost cheating to answer it.

David Fraser had encountered Mackled Malaclaws in his practical; and Jade deduced that at least THAT was not likely to be a part of the exam as there were other NEWTs to follow and the bad luck caused by the bite of the Malaclaws lasted a full week. She had heard David's speculations on the fact that the tentacular growths on the backs of murtlaps that could cure cursed wounds enabled the little creatures to be in some way immune to the curse of ill luck; and had asked Professor Carcano about it; and discovered that the class had covered just that fact the previous year. She therefore wrote confidently on the subject. Writing about dragons was easy, having grown up hearing Hagrid on the subject; and she knew as much about hippogriffs as anyone.

The practical involved using a portkey with the examiner to what looked to Jade to be the set of a Western movie; where there was a Re'em visible in the bluffs. The examiner pointed, handing her a silver knife and a flask.

"The test is to get blood from it; you are not to kill the beast to harvest blood. If the re'em dies it's an automatic fail; if you fail to get blood you will only lose marks. You get extra marks for high amounts of blood; good luck."

Jade nodded.

"Understood" she said. It was a tough test; re'em were fierce and fairly resistant to spells. Also she did not want to scare it too much. It already looked jumpy; Seppi Buser and Cacilia had already been and there were fresh scars on the giant ox's golden skin.

Jade started to dance; she knew no Native American dances but she tried to replicate what she had seen on films of a more reputable nature. The sand and dust rose beneath her feet and as she danced coalesced and flew at her bidding to corral the beast and bring it to a more convenient place. She sang a song of soothing too; and the great golden creature came almost up to her. Jade scratched the creature between the horns and flipped the flask over to a good sized artery in the beast's neck and murmured

"_Diffindinimo"_ to make a small cut; ready to cast "_episkayo_" the moment she had the flask filled. With another wave of the hand she stoppered the flask and whisked it back to her hand, reached out to scratch the big creature between the horns one last time, and released it, handing the flask to the examiner.

The Re'em turned and fled for the rocks again.

"You're a cool hand!" gasped the examiner "I half expected it to turn on us!"

"Poor thing just wanted to get away" said Jade "We weren't in its way; that I made sure of. Beautiful chap, isn't he?"

"Quite a magnificent specimen" said the examiner. "Right, let us get back!"

"How much blood did you get?" demanded Seppi Buser when Jade returned. Jade looked surprised.

"Well I filled the flask; obviously" she said "We were supposed to, weren't we?"

Cacilia laughed ironically.

"Poor Seppi" she said "So proud of getting enough for a single dose; and me no more. We had trouble, both of us, using _wingadium leviosa_ on both knife and flask at the same time with the big critter shifting about."

"Oh!" said Jade "I made a corral out of moving sand to hold him still and scaled down _diffindo_ to _diffindinimo_ so I didn't make too big a cut and only used the hovering charm on the flask; so I could scratch his poll to keep him calm."

Cacilia laughed again.

"Ah, the English love of animals" she said. "You are so very good, Nefrita; I am impressed."

Jade grinned.

"Well I know this man who tried to rear a Hungarian Horntail in a cottage" she said "The English DO love animals. I don't like to see animals unnecessarily distressed. Examiners are another matter."

Jade's last exam was Herbology; and she fervently hoped not to have to deal with Snargaluffs.

She was lucky; the exam involved the collection of Mandrakes and repotting teething venomous tentacula plants. Jade used the sonic hum to remove her mandrake from its pot; and growled at her venomous tentacula.

It was all quite straightforward.

Nobody had passed out it seemed; as all the others had managed to use Jade's spell, even if not perhaps with the same speedy efficiency. Xia Xuang and Traudl both looked strained!

The written exam contained several essay questions; again a choice of three from five, and Jade chose to answer 'the choice and amount of fertiliser is paramount; discuss'; 'the properties of various trees determine their use of wand woods; expand'; and 'describe and explain how some plants may be considered to be close to being beasts.'

Jade knew plenty about fertiliser, including over fertilising plants; and she had heard Willow on wand woods often enough to go into great detail on that question. Then she tackled such plants as Screechsnaps that were borderline sentient, and Huorns that were neither plant nor beast.

There were some short questions too and Jade felt she had acquitted herself fairly well on the whole!

For Jade exams were now over; and she resisted murmuring to herself, 'for you, Fraulein, ze war of nerves is now ofer' in parody of any number of war films.

The ZP students were still to do their suffering; and Jade suffered for her Dark Arts students.

She busied herself with her potion to turn people into pigs; one might as well use the time to vindicate Circe after all. Herr Rebet was interested too.

And Jade was certain she was almost there.

Jade asked for a copy of the ZP Dark Arts paper whilst the youngsters sat it; and read it through.

If they had taken notice of her lessons there was no reason they should not pass well enough; and her harder workers should have a chance to take an 'E' if they did not muff the practical.

There were questions on signs to identify various dark creatures – and they were lucky, being given the question on listing five ways to identify a werewolf from a normal wolf; if any forgot the graphic demonstration she had given in class they jolly well deserved to fail! They were required to define what constituted a dark creature and they had no excuse to muff that either. There were also questions on simple jinxes and curses and how to recognise their effects; all quite simple stuff.

Jade asked to sit in on the practical too.

The examiner was not perhaps feeling too happy with her and asked rather waspishly why. Jade smiled brightly which made him quail.

"Well you see, as I had caused Hedda Schrempf's physical incapacity – rather than her self inflicted intellectual handicaps – Madam Bacsó asked me to teach the two exam classes, and as I intend to teach full time next year, I think it rather important to know what to teach towards, don't you? I had to fumble a bit in the dark this year, filling in as much as I could from the deficiencies of Schrempf. None of them could even produce a corporeal patronus until I taught them."

The examiner grunted; he had found the upper sixth better prepared than he had anticipated in light of the previous year's neglected studies.

"Are you saying all the upper sixth class can produce Corporeal Patronuses?" he demanded.

"Of course" said Jade "I was sorry it wasn't tested in the exam. Billkvam and Frolika are a trifle deficient, but they learned quick enough when I set a dementor on them. I would not do so with students who merely had difficulties, you understand" she added "But they are lazy."

"I will consult with my superiors; we had not planned to ask for a demonstration of Patronuses as the previous years have been deficient" said the examiner.

"Yes; it is disgraceful" said Jade "In England it is a question asked at OWL – ZP – level for extra marks; about a quarter can claim those marks. For young adults of around eighteen years not to be able to produce corporeal patronuses is disgraceful. I don't think Schrempf herself could actually" she added meditatively.

"Probably not; she was most defective in her teaching" said the examiner "But I do ask you NOT to teach your students to practise the unforgivable curses on the examiner; they sap the energy, and make one consider resignation."

Jade looked at him thoughtfully.

"Perhaps you should petition the governors of the prison to offer a reduction in sentence to volunteers" she said "Say, six months off for every student who uses them as demonstration models."

"A remarkably good idea!" he was struck by it. "As you say, it is a better test to perform the curses on humans. Perhaps those due for execution might be used for the killing curse."

"I would advise not" said Jade "To start on life with a killing might disturb some young people; it is still a time even at our age where some are troubled with their sense of self worth and hormonal agonies. And besides, if that were the norm, it would not be well to have to suddenly find people to be executed if there were none due. A rat dies in the same way as any sentient. Because of my knowledge of horcruces I am well aware that a killing shatters the soul; unfair to a young person not ready for such a step."

"Excuse me asking, have you a horcrux?" he was curious.

Jade laughed.

"Not I!" she said "I know far too much about them from what happened to Voldemort in his indiscriminate use of them! There are better ways and more subtle to increase the lifespan, if one wanted to; and better, to my mind, to defend against being killed than to have a back up consciousness ready to move into if one is careless enough to get one's body destroyed. It is childishness; but then, Voldemort WAS childish. It's a weakness shared by a lot of megalomaniacs; and is the reason why I study the Dark Arts and have no desire to use them to undertake any form of rulership. The price of increasing paranoia and self-willed puerility caused by the gradual ascendance of the dark arts over one's nature is not worth it; and you agree or you'd be trying to rule Germany not examining dunderheads and incompetents in the hopes of finding the odd scholar."

She was right; infernally right. And so it was not wrong to fear the thought that the dark arts might start to rule; if this bright and dangerous young witch willingly spoke out of her own fears!

"Well, you understand the dangers; I expect you will teach of them" he said.

"I shall; and some will be tempted and will destroy themselves" said Jade. "I had preferred to teach the Art defensively to protect the young fools from themselves who will doubtless also cause some little trouble to the authorities before their foolishness catches up with them; but I shall do my best to put the fear of the dark into them so only true scholars and the terminally stupid continue down the path of study to the Dark Arts. One of my ZH students, incidentally, volunteered to wear my cursed belt to the conclusion of the birth; HE is a scholar and a brave one too. The child was born safely. I officiated at the process once I had left you. The Dark Arts can strengthen or weaken. It is in the character of the one who studies. May I sit in with the ZP's?"

"Yes. Yes you may" he said.

Jade nodded.

She assumed invisibility to watch; since her presence might put off her students.

The exam took the standard form that they defended against and cast two curses; and cursed an item. The shield charms were mostly fairly solid – only half a dozen students would need the school nurse to remove the curses cast at them – and the level of originality in the curses they cast was fair, if not up to the standard of Hogwarts corridor curses. Several people used the jellied furnunculous curse because Jade had mentioned it; Jochen managed to combine three curses for one of his efforts giving the startled examiner green spots that periodically exploded, not an effect that Jochen had expected and it was as well he was a naturally solemn child for even he had to fight off a fit of the giggles before reproducing the spell _levicorpus_ reverse engineered from having heard of Jade's use of it. Jade had to rescue the examiner from the exotic combination of _avocado kedavra_, the furnunculous curse and the reductor curse.

"Not a nice curse to use on an examiner if it had done its job; I fancy he expected that the twist he gave it would blow you backwards rather than reduce you to dust" said Jade. "I love the combination however!"

"Cast wordlessly too" growled the examiner "You've brought some of them on well."

"Talent thrives regardless of the teacher" said Jade "But they have come on well and worked hard."

Hilde, Zhanargul and Stiv all used _levicorpus_; and Jade was pleased that they had co-operated to work it out. Hilde combined _densaugeo_ with the furnunculous curse and came up with lengthened teeth dripping pus; Zhanargul stuck with _langlock_ and Stiv used _expelliarmus_. And for all the ingenuity of Jochen and Hilde, Jade intended telling her advanced group – as the four undoubtedly were – that either _langlock_ or _expelliarmus_ would defeat most wizards since few could cast wordlessly or without wands.

And before she had done with her, Jade vowed that Zhanargul would learn to cast wandlessly and wordlessly for the child's own protection.

Elfleda had picked it up already after all.

The cursing of items was a rather mixed bag. The candidates had the choice of a hat, a piece of jewellery or a pair of shoes. Most picked the shoes to curse with an eternal dancing curse; and the better students managed not to have them start dancing regardless of not having feet in them. The second most popular choice was the hat, cursed to give a headache; and Everilde Widder managed to add the twist that it would not come off until uncursed. Hilde cursed the shoes to be one size too tight and not to be able to be removed; Jochen cursed the jewellery to shout ruderies if the wearer kissed anyone; Zhanargul cursed the hat to lay the babbling curse on the wearer and the inability to realise they were cursed; and Stiv cursed the shoes to whack anyone who tried to put them on and to give them a good caning.

Jade was concerned about Takeo Namudzu; who seemed to take delight in casting such offensive spells as the stinging hex and attempting the entrail expelling curse; appropriate perhaps for a Japanese boy in some respects, but he was a child who lived up to his name, that meant 'fierce boy'. He cursed the necklace to heat up and to be unremoveable. There was something in the lad's background, Jade was sure; and if he took the Dark Arts further perhaps she might then have the leisure to find out the reason for his violence and anger towards the whole world. And said so to the examiner.

"You're a fraud" he said "You aren't as fishy and cold as you like to pretend!"

"It's English to be unemotional in appearance" said Jade "One hides any emotions; being emotional is sort of impolite."

"Well I'll tell you now, all but half a dozen have at least passed the practical" said the Examiner "How they do in the written will determine overall marks. And some have done very well; I look forward – in a perverse sort of way – to the level of ingenuity they achieve next year. And I will, in such case, be very strenuously advising the use of prisoners as ZH victims! Will you object to goblins?"

"I don't care who volunteers; but I think it must BE volunteers with reduced sentence as an incentive" said Jade. "For practical considerations; knowing they can get good conduct marks as well and a reduction of time to serve means your prisoners will be better behaved. I'd militate against truculent unwilling prisoners ordered to comply. There's such a thing as duty of care to the younger kids too."

"Yes – yes, I see that point" he said "I had not considered it. Well, thank you Fraulein, and thank you for your efficient decursing of me variously. I forgive the use of unforgivable curses on me freely for your ideas. I shall see you next year."

Jade curtseyed as he clicked his heels to her.

He was a scholar too; and those who studied the dark arts really did fall into the two categories, the scholars and the megalomaniacs. Jade sighed.

Perhaps she could emphasise the defensive aspect enough that sooner or later the exam itself would change for the pressure of public opinion.

It was worth a try!

The ZH students were indeed called back to produce a corporeal patronus; and notes on the solidity were made by the examiner. Billkvam and Frolika had rather weak ones; but they had at least something.

And the rest produced well formed patronuses with panache, even Franziska.

In the run up to the end of term – which also involved a Quidditch match against a team from a place Jade had never even heard of, that the first team creamed without difficulty and Jade's catching of the snitch was but an end to the visitors' miseries – she completed the potion.

She assembled the upper sixth potion class, plus those of her year who were blooded to her; Herr Rebet and Frau Schreiber, since it was study of ancient runes that had unlocked the secret.

"I thought I'd try it on myself" she said "Because it's unfair to try a new potion on anyone else; I have mandragora here to restore me."

The young sow was terrified. She was in a room with strange smells and humans who were trying to grab her as she ran to and fro. Two new humans suddenly appeared, both with damaged faces; but they felt soothing and she wanted to be soothed.

The one with the line down his face opened her mouth and poured in some liquid; it tasted bad…..

Jade flung herself on her husband.

"Oh Wulf!" she cried "Daddy! It worked but oh dear, it takes the intellect!"

"Naturally" said Severus "Circe didn't want her pigs running around knowing that they resented her. And loath as I am to suppress knowledge I should think that the method of his should NOT be published."

"I think you're right" said Jade.

"I think" said Professor Rebet "I will write into 'Transactions' and publish that one of my ZH students reproduced Circe's potion – to dispel the scepticism that she had one – and that the results were sufficiently successful that my student prefers not to publish the ingredients or method. I will add that the search for Moly is also over as it proved to be nothing more or less than Mandragora. And I will refuse to answer private queries about the potion; though I think I might hand them over to the judiciary! I can testify that I and my colleagues Professor Schreiber and also Professor Snape both saw the effects and that the drinking of the potion was also witnessed by my whole ZH class. It ought to quiet what has been an ongoing debate after all!"

"And I too will endorse it" said Frau Schreiber. "Without going into specifics of the texts used of course!"

"I agree" said Severus "And having the question of whether it is possible settled may stop independent potioneers trying and finding they turn themselves irrevocably into pigs, not knowing enough once changed to take an antidote. Make clear that the effect is a full transformation; and the young witch who managed the attempt needed to be given an antidote."

Rebet nodded.

"Are you feeling better, Fraulein?" he asked.

"Oh yes, thank you!" said Jade "It was scary but I'm glad I did it; Circe was rather a bitch but you can't fault her ingenuity. And I like to know what is true in old myth and what is so much rubbish. And I think it's time to _evanesco_ that whole potion" she added, twitching her wand to suit deeds to words "And I shall put my notes somewhere VERY safe under fidelius charm" she added. "I've had such fun this year, despite missing Wulf and Ralph; there's been such a lot to learn!"

Severus laughed.

"Born a scholar and never likely to change!" he said.

"That's me!" said Jade. "And when I've licked the school into shape in the Dark Arts department and Volodya has started teaching chanting – he's coming to you, dad, for a year if his parents are willing – Wulf and I can set up a school for those not eligible for Durmstrang. And Clovis can take over from me teaching Dark Arts here; and its defences too without which anyone who dabbles in deeper mysteries is helpless."

"I will need to learn more for myself" said Gierek seriously.

"I suggest you go to England and ask Draco Malfoy for a job as assistant; he's an Auror, what you call here a Vehmgericht" said Jade "I understand that Vehmgerichten require only four ZHs; Aurors require five, of which one must be DADA. But an Auror may take on any and all the assistants he wants if he can justify them; or if he can pay them from his own pocket if he doesn't trouble to justify them. Draco has forgotten more about the Dark Arts than most ZH students here ever learn; and he knows more counter curses and defensive spells than anyone but dad, his own father and Harry Potter. Who's his best friend and with whom he often works" added Jade. "You may find an eclectic range of fellow assistants; Draco's not a fool and he takes his help where he can get it. He even has a drinking buddy who's a muggle police officer – their aurors. I don't think the muggle knows who or what Draco is; but Draco gains and passes such information as crosses the boundaries of their world and ours. He'll see you right; mention my name" said Jade.

Gierek nodded curtly.

"All right; I shall" he said abruptly. "Nachtigall had a career mapped out for each of us, to be officers in ODESSA ; he would not have liked any of us having our own ideas, and it was easy to let him make decisions even whilst resenting it. You have taught me to use my own brain and make up my own mind; and you make suggestions not tell me what to do. I want to learn more; I am no fool like that Ulvang girl who has no idea!"

"We have a phrase in England; she knows everything and she knows nothing" said Jade.

Gierek gave a harsh laugh.

"Very descriptive!" he said. "And if she really was so clever she'd be taking more than three ZH's and be expected to get 'O' in all of them."

"Oh like Seppi Buser who only knows one opinion to be valid and it's his" said Jade "There are always people like them; and the comfort is that sooner or later if they don't learn they come a cropper."

"What are we all to do now we split up?" asked Ritter "We keep in touch, yes?"

"Can't really fail to" said Jade. "I was hoping that some at least of you would come and teach with me in the new school we plan to set up ultimately; Cacilia teaching potions, Ritter on charms, Rodica on enchanting or Herbology, Lazlo on History or enchanting, Bertel on Ancient Runes and Traudl on Dark Arts while I teach Arithmancy because none of the rest of you can add up to save your lives; and Wulf will by that time have the confidence to teach transfiguration."

"Oh you won't be getting in Ulvang for that then?" asked Ritter, laughing.

"I can't answer that; there are people present" laughed Jade "Oh I MUST tell you about Jochen Wiesel's cursed necklace – that sounded off if the wearer kissed someone; bless the child, he doesn't know how to swear or use curse words; the worst he came up with was 'scarlet woman! Pass me the sick bag!'"

There was general laughter.

"Poor brats, having to come up with dark items when they are patently normal children who are NOT so dark!" sighed Severus.

"Oh well, I expect I can manipulate the system soon enough" said Jade philosophically "I usually do what I set out to do; it's a matter of self belief after all!"

"Yes; and I don't mind betting you'd have realised deep down that you were Jade inside the sow and the blood connection would have given you the will to cast a _homomorphous_ on yourself" said Wulf.

"Damn; I've thrown the rest away; we can't test if it would have worked" said Jade, considering. "Nor if the spell would work cast by someone on the sow."

"Never mind!" laughed Wulf "That's a level of scholarly curiosity I can live without in my wife; if you MUST investigate, I suggest you wait until Ralph and any others we have grow up!"

"Oh all right" said Jade, not too much put out at failing to answer all the questions her potion had raised. "As well not to have the stuff around while small persons might interfere and turn himself into a piglet; I should feel like the duchess in 'Alice through the Looking Glass'!"

Wulf laughed.

"But, Mein Liebling, a very great deal prettier!" he said.

"We need Jochen's cursed necklace; they're about to be remarkably soppy!" laughed Traudl "And I vote we leave them to it; it IS nearly the end of term after all!"

And term ended finally with a big feast such as occurred also in Hogwarts; and Madam Bacsó made the announcement that next year would see the inauguration of a prefect system; and read out the names of the eight sixth formers to be who would be prefects.

"And of those, Konstanty Masicwicz is to be Head Boy and Serafina Payutina his deputy" she said "And I trust you will all do all you can to help the prefects do their duty; and learn how to do so. They are there to take troubles to that you would prefer not to talk to a teacher about; and to act for the staff in breaking up mischief or trouble, in an unofficial capacity where they can and in an official capacity where they must; to sit with classes doing preparation; when they must be given the same respect as a member of staff of course. They are of the school; one with the rest of you; but also with some authority to keep order. They are, too, YOUR representatives to the staff. Nefrita Von Strang acted in the manner a prefect should when raising the concerns of the lower school about quidditch practice. She has of course been accustomed to being a prefect in her previous school; and when she returns to teach as Frau Von Lutytens she will doubtless be ready to answer any queries the new prefects have about their duties and how they should react in any given situation."

Jade nodded.

"And I'll be ready, while you learn the ropes, to take my 'Professor' hat off to give advice" she said "And if it's something I don't want to hear about officially, well, I shan't even listen to myself."

There was some laughter; but Konstanty Masicwicz was nodding. He had taken the point well; and Jade was glad.

She thought he might rise to the challenge of being head boy.

"And may I also say" said Agata "I would like my Head and Deputy to turn up as early as possible at the lodge next year to help supervise finding suitable fellows for the new intake to fag for. I would like all prefects early; but I only require it of the head boy and deputy."

Masicwicz clicked his heels and bowed in the stiff Germanic fashion; Serafina curtseyed.

It had come almost spontaneously.

"Please, are younger people to rise for and curtsey for prefects?" asked Xanthippe Eulenspiegel. Agata looked helplessly at Jade.

Jade rose again.

"No, Eulenspiegel; save when a prefect comes to take prep when it is polite to rise as a token of thanks that he or she must do their own preparation in a bear garden instead of in the quiet seclusion of their own study" she said "And as such the prefect is in the place of an adult too. In other respects a prefect requires in general the same level of respect you would give to any elder; with too the obedience to an order – a legal order, prefects being bound by that as much as anyone – and anyone who talks back better learn that it's not a good idea or you'll be the world champion at learning poetry. At English schools, repetitions of suitable poetry are set by prefects for minor transgressions; the rule is no more than ten reps, which might be lines along the lines of 'I should act my age not my shoe size' or rather as continental shoe sizes are different, hat size; or a complex poem. It is an unwritten rule that serious mischief is sorted with ten reps of a vasty poem rather than being made official; especially if the miscreant is repentant. The sort of stupidity that could have killed or injured a friend and got the culprit expelled for example; but that a prefect feels the culprit is sorry about and won't do it again. Like urging someone to climb the castle walls for a dare" she added having stopped the Eulenspiegel twins from egging each other on to do just that. "Writing poetry several times is tedious and makes the wrist ache. Learning yards of poetry makes the brain ache. The prefects will pick what they prefer; English prefects fall back too on Shakespeare for an appropriate quote. I once wrote one hundred times – it was a teacher's impot – 'her voice was ever gentle low and sweet, an excellent thing in a woman' for having an argument clear across the great hall at breakfast; and my friend I was quarrelling with got the same impot for the same reason. I have to say I have used some of the poetry I've been set as bases for chanting; so there's no great loss without some small gain and whilst virtue may be its own reward, mischief and acceptance of the concomitant punishment is part of the way of life of the average schoolchild. I think I'm speaking sacrilege for a fledgling professor; but if I say, THINK before you get up to mischief, and the prefects count to ten before they lose their rag and order lines or other creative punishment you probably won't have too much serious trouble. Thank you Madam Bacsó."

And then it was all over; and next year Jade would be teaching properly; and Durmstrang was no longer the enemy to be infiltrated but her place of work.

She would still be glad to have her own school however!

And next year she would appear as Jade Snape save that she would wear her hair drawn back Nefrita Von Strang fashion; and those who did NOT know who she really was probably would not even notice that her hair was a slightly different colour and her eyes different too.

And she would have Wulf and Ralph with her all the time!

**Fin**

_It's nice to have conclusions I have drawn endorsed by academe, the University of Virginia has recently concluded in a study that where bullying exists the academic standard of the whole school is affected for witnessing this which anyone who has ever taught could have told them._

_On a Potterverse note, the next one up will be 12b Lilith Goes To School, I've kept the lettering to cover which school is what, not necessarily the most felicitous order in which to read.  
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